In conventional music terms, the notions of strings would indicate violins, cellos and so forth. On this release, trumpeter, Jeff Kaiser, and multi-woodwind expert, Andrew Pask, augment their avant tendencies with fellow West Coast artists, guitarist, G.E. Stinson and bassist, Steuart Liebig. And there you have the electronics-based string section. Even so, it’s a wily engagement; where EFX and computer based sounds serve a vital component of the overall modus operandi.

With the organic element intact, the electronics are uses to create swirling sound clusters, in contrast to Kaiser and Pask’s free-form exchanges, performed in various colors and flavors. At times chaotic and teeming with alien-soundscapes, the music occasionally elicits a sense of an avant-garde, psychedelic musical experience. Yet contrasts abound, whether it’s Pask’s soaring clarinet lines atop swerving EFX or when the band engages in minimalist oriented exchanges. In most instances, they keep you on the edge. Or perhaps they simply engage the perimeters of science fiction, with respect to the mind’s eye.

On "Adulterous Dishwasher," Liebig’s fuzz bass sets a foundation for Kaiser and Pask’s chirpy patterns, leading to a climactically driven wall-of-sound. Then in other spots, the quartet implements ethereal synth swashes amid buzzing and humming noises. It’s partly about pushing the envelope, although this is one of those bizarre outings that induces entertaining aspects as opposed to other austere works of this ilk. A job well done, indeed.... -- Glenn Astarita