SICBAY / VALINA
Split EP
S1. Gamma Free
S2. Spazz
V1. Escort Of Soda
Sicbay were the band Nick Sakes did after Dazzling Killmen and Colossamite. Valina were experimental post-hardcore from Austria.
Ltd. to 525 EPs on yellow vinyl.
Co-released with Tempete Dans Ton Bourg.
Reviews
If there was any sort of justice in this crazy mixed up world, all the John Reisophiles out there would be beating a path to Sicbay’s door. Not that they’d find anyone home considering they’ve split up, but the gesture would have been a nice one nonetheless. Still, rather than some unmarked grave we at least have these two songs to mark their passing. First up is what this band does best: a throbbing, up-tempo number laced with slithering guitar lines and seething melodies. Something that I just can’t put my finger on suggests an odd sense of triumph, and rightly so, because it’s an absolute stormer. The second ditty kind of took me by surprise. Y’see, before the Chris Dodge band of the same name, and before most of us were using it as a rudimentary schoolyard insult, ‘Spazz’ was the title of a song by a 60s garage-fuzz act called The Elastik Band. Which is what we have covered here, replete with delicious guitar twangs and a merrily insane vocal delivery, faithfully rendered the Sicbay way. Awesome.
Valina were an unknown quantity before I flipped the record, and now I know them I’m more than glad to have made their acquaintance. Their side starts with a drifting, faraway slice of a cappella before descending into a hypnotic pulse of Sonic Youth-esque indie rock, threaded through with some mean sax. Male and female vocals intertwine effortlessly, giving the impression that Valina are one of those bands who are able to reel off lazily fantastic melodies as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The sods. Their side of the split is a grand thing indeed, and neatly compliments Sicbay on the flip. Top fucking notch.
- Collective-Zine
Après un premier volume qui voyait s’affronter les Djud de Bretagne et les ricains de Gorge Trio, Tempête Dans Ton Bourg relance le challenge pour une nouvelle rencontre (et tournée commune) plutôt fumeuse ; à savoir le « post rock noisy » de Valina et le « power indie noise rock » de Sicbay… vous remarquerez les subtiles nuances ! ? …bon, les premiers efforts de Valina ne m’ont pas jusqu’alors mis le grand frisson mais j’avoue que cette fois-ci ils tiennent là une jolie pépite rock… refrain entraînant, mélodie accrocheuse, apparition de cuivres vivifiants, le trio autrichien a écrit son premier vrai hit. Sicbay propose lui aussi un tube… mais qui se trouvait déjà sur leur sympathique mais un inégal deuxième album. Dans sa grande générosité Nick Sakes et ses deux comparses nous régalent avec un inédit très rock and roll et bienvenu. Les fans des deux groupes ont déjà ce très bel objet… les autres ? ?… je ne sais pas ce qu’ils attendent ! ?"
[A poor English translation:]
After the first volume which saw to clash Djud of Brittany and the yankees of Throat Trio, Tempête In Your Borough starts again the challenge for a new meeting (and common round) rather smoky; with knowing the "post rock'n'roll noisy" of Valina and the "power indie noise rock'n'roll" of Sicbay... you will notice the subtle nuances! ? ... good, the first efforts of Valina hitherto did not put me the great shiver but I acknowledge that this time they hold a pretty nugget rock'n'roll there... involving refrain, accrocheuse melody, appearance of vivifying coppers, the Austrian trio wrote its first truth hit. Sicbay proposes to him also a tube... but which was already on their sympathetic nerve but unequal a second album. In its great generosity Nick Sakes and its two comparses very levels us with a new rock'n'roll and welcome. The fans of the two groups have already this very beautiful object... the others? ?... I do not know until they wait! ?
- STNT
Condivisione di sforzo per produrre questo 7” split da parte della francese Tempete Dans Ton Borgue e dell’inglese Super-Fi e condivisione di spazio vinilico tra gli austriaci Valina e gli americani Sicbay (di recente in tour proprio per promuovere questo split). Carina la grafica, dischetto giallo canarino contenente tre pezzi. Due sul lato Sicbay , scuderia Skin Graft, nuova band dell’ex-Colossamite Nick Sakes, due chitarre e una batteria, incrocio interessante tra la sghembezza e l’avanguardia del noise Skin Graft (Arab on Radar su tutti) e la fisicità, il ritorno alle radici blues di quello Amphetamine Reptile (Cows su tutti). Per i Valina invece un nuovo “hit” ovvero Escort of Soda: toccante, stupendo, ammaliante con un refrain che cattura sin dal primo ascolto , un pezzo dalla struttura più classica e forse da un gusto più semplicemente “pop” rispetto alle sessions di “Vagabond”. Questo non fa nient’altro che aumentare la già altissima aspettativa per il nuovo album. Per ora godiamo di questo split.
[A poor English translation:]
Sharing of effort in order to produce to this 7? split from part of the French Tempete Dans Ton Borgue and dell?inglese Super-Fi and sharing of vinilico space between the Valina Austrians and the Sicbay Americans (of recent in tour just in order promoting this split). Pretty the diagram, yellow floppy disk containing canary three pieces. Two on the Sicbay side, scuderia Skin Graft, new band dell?ex-Colossamite Nick Sakes, two guitars and one battery, interesting crossing between the sghembezza and l?avanguardia of noise the Skin Graft (Arab on Radar on all) and the fisicità, the return to the roots blues of that Amphetamine Reptile (Cows on all). For the Valina instead a new one?hit? that is Hard Escort of: touching, wonderful, charming with a refrain that capture sin from the first one I listen, a piece from the more classic structure and perhaps from a taste more simply?pop? regarding the sessions of?Vagabond. This does not make nient?altro that to increase the already highest expectation for the new album. Hour we enjoy this split.
- Kathodik
You don’t need any more basic information on one of my favourite bands, or do you? Well, if so check some of the reviews of their latest releases, e.g. for their last album “Vagabond” or their first album “Into Arsenal of Codes” or their seven-inch on Substance. In the last years Valina have become better and better, tighter and one of the best bands to come from Austria. They seem to constantly build on their songs and musical visions, without compromise but also without any urgency, both in a live setting as in their recordings. There is no sense of a career, so to say, but all about an evolution of musical (and also political) ideas, of course, still hidden in very complex and intuitive symbolism rather than straight forward and outspoken. A hidden revolution to dance to.
Their new song on this seven inch, “Escort of Soda”, is to me a kind of highlight in their recordings. It combines all their good sides – complex grooves coming from noise guitars and driving bass/drum-lines, melodies to hum along to and still retaining lots of space for experiments – into one little song. Well, it actually ain’t that little, since it comes with an acapella intro, the help of a saxophone and a trumpet and boasts various parts, which makes it a small epic in a way. But it is just one song on a “seven inch”. Is it preposterous to ask today, what will happen on their next full album? Maybe so, there is still a tour through Europe ahead of them, to which occasion this little gem was produced, and after that another trip to the USA to play more concerts there. The future is always just one step ahead.
The tour will be played together with their friends from Minneapolis: Sicbay. I admit that I never heard of them before Valina told me about them, though some members have played in bands that I know and liked, such as Dazzling Killmen and Colossamite, I am looking forward to see them play live. Again, as I remember seeing Colossamite before. Remember, Minneapolis was also the home of Amphetamine Reptile Records and therefore one of the main hot spots for Noise Rock, the way I remember it. They have kept that tradition a little, especially in the second song on their part of this split-seven inch: “Spazz”, which is, unfortunately, a cover-version.
They have released at least two full albums that I know of, “The firelight S’Coughs” (on Obtuse Mule) and “Overreaction Time” (on 54°40’ or Fight!) and a few EPs, which are really good as well, though more melodic, more dynamic, less chaotic, less noisy as their predecessors. To call the kid by its name, Sicbay could easily be regarded as an emo-core band in the vein of Hot Water Music or Cable Car Theory. Essentially a good pairing with Valina, of course, though it seems to me, with less edges and spikey corners (but that might give them more appeal with the kids anyway).
So, I expect a great night out when they’ll be playing in Vienna in a few days. It’ll also be interesting to see, how people react to these bands, because usually, if a band from the USA plays in Austria, they are the headliner and the Austrian band does the support slot, which usually makes the Austrian band worse. There are some obvious reasons for that, e.g. if a band makes it to Europe from the USA they have some experience and some records out while the Austrian band doing support has only played a few concerts and is being checked out by the promoters as to their potential. Moreover, more people come to see the US-band, which they already know thanks to mailorders, newsletters and the internet, and of the local band only some friends show up and get drunk on their behalf. Finally, there is a certain prejudice or pre-conception that bands from the USA have the ability to “rock”, that they are better than local bands. This time, that will be different, because Valina are a great band with a rather large following in Vienna, even on a Monday night.
But I guess, thinking like that is not at all in the way that Valina does. They are good friends with Sicbay and have played with them in the USA and now they play together in Europe. It is all about helping each other and supporting people, also people in bands, that have the same attitude and lifestyle as you. Yeah, way to go. I’ll see you all on Monday.
- Cracked
Sicbay takes side A with some quirky indie rock type of stuff with a driving rhythm section and vocals that fall between singing, speaking, and yelling. "Gamma Free" opens with a tight performance and a lot of movement with some memorable riffs that are atypical for this style, while "Spazz" is a cover by The Elastik Band and is more of a garage rock sounding thing, which is sort of derivative and not as interesting as their original work at all. They do have a good recording though, slightly rough but evenly mixed with a great bass presence. Valina (Austria) follows with an unusual piece ("Escort of Soda") that opens with reverberated singing and then heads into more indie stuff, made weaker by the presence of disruptive saxophone and trumpet that are far too chaotic and noisy. The music in the piece is okay after that, but the vocals are sort of plain, and there's no distortion or anything, so as a whole it's kind of laidback and doesn't really do much for me. At least their recording is very nice and smooth, which is cool for such a quick track on a split EP. The package gives each band one square cover for their own art and text information, with a wraparound strip (hand-numbered of 500 copies) holding things in place (and the record is on clear yellow vinyl). Neither artist includes lyrics, just credits and such, so there's only so much to go on there. I'm sort of 50/50 on a lot of this material, but I go enjoy Sicbay's "Gama Free", so I'll give 'em the benefit of the doubt. I'd need to hear more to get a real idea of what Valina offers, and I wouldn't rule them out, but still… - Aversionline