Arc Minute aims for background music for the masses with new melancholy rock CD

By Joshua Chilton
The Collegian

On his first solo outing with Arc Minute, Ryan Tallman dusted off his keyboards and digitally controlled oscillators to create what could be your next favorite Radiohead-esque disk.

The 10-song, self-titled CD recorded in spring 2006 is definitely a stretch from Tallman’s previous indie rock project, Milk for the Morning Cake, but the sturdy song structures and strong musicianship of Arc Minute keep the abstract sound of the CD within the confines of traditional melancholy rock music.

With the intention to completely disappear from the traditional guitar, bass and drum lineup, Tallman set out and composed an instrumental disc that could fit along the lines of a movie score.

Although the Radiohead and Mogwai comparisons will come full throttle at this first attempt by Arc Minute, they will not stand strong. Arc Minute has created a demon that will be extremely hard for some people to grasp initially but surprisingly tuneful at further listening.

The disk’s almost danceable opener, “Polyethylene” starts with a gigantic staggering bout of percussion and delayed keyboards that will immediately trigger the listener into thinking that Arc Minute’s mission is to be the next big thing on the club scene. Just as you think you understand where this record is going, the music cuts out and turns in to a sweeping gust of keyboards that continues to build upon itself as if the song is destined to physically explode in your CD player.

The disc’s strongest moments are the slow burning songs “Snails and Halos” and “Dapgnir,” which display Ryan Tallman’s knack for creating somber, memorable tunes reminiscent of Mogwai and Milk for the Morning Cake.

“Dapgnir,” perhaps the disc’s most melodic song, closes the CD with a slow orchestral track of glowing keyboards and a preciously catchy melody that wouldn’t sound out of place on any Mogwai record. But On catchy songs such as “Dapgnir,” fans familiar to Tallman’s previous works can’t help but wonder what kind of vocal melody Tallman is capable of belting out over the song.

Although the completely instrumental tracks lack Tallman’s strongest assets, his voice and compellingly dark lyrics, the absence of lyrical content and vocal melody make the disc tremendously more interactive for the listener.

Arc Minute’s mission was to create “background music,” but if Arc Minute’s debut is “background music” it’s background music for the masses. Arc minute’s debut is definitely one of the most ambitious and gutsy statements made by a local musician in recent years. We have no idea what Arc Minute has in store for us next time around, but you surely won’t want to miss it.

Key Tracks: “Dapgnir,” “Snails and Halos,” “I’ve Never Seen Fireflies,” and “Polyethylene.” For more information visit: www.myspace.com/arcminute.

Related listening: Mogwai, Radiohead.

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