Greg Saunier and Sean Lennon of Mystical Weapons Present Crotesque

Greg Saunier and Sean Lennon of Mystical Weapons; photo by Devendra Banhart.

Be thankful for experimental music. At least that’s the message sent by Northern Spy Records’ November 29 release of Mystical Weapons’ limited edition 12″ LP Crotesque for Record Store Day Black Friday this year. Undoubtedly, the initial curiosity surrounding the band has much to do with the reputations of its founding members–Sean Lennon (The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger) and Greg Saunier of Deerhoof.  Here, Lennon shares handle guitar, bass, and synthesizer duties with Shahzad Ismaily, and Saunier provides the percussion.

Consisting of one nearly 20-minute track, the music of Crotesque colors outside the lines in all the right ways, managing to be both joyful and ominous at the same time. The dual nature of Mystical Weapons’ sound is achieved by combining the boundless energy of the drums and lead guitar–which recalls the effects-laden, adventurous riffing of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (formerly of The Mars Volta)–with the step-wise, at times chromatic melody in the bass line. The guitar work as a whole is exceedingly crunchy, all distortion and fuzz.

But it’s Saunier’s singular, spasmodic performance, which captures the unbridled spirit of The Who’s Keith Moon at his best, that serves as the anchoring presence in Mystical Weapons’ music. The great paradox is that Saunier is able to ground the music by exhibiting the most freedom. He paints with broad strokes here, using the full percussive palette and ranging from punk to jazz fusion influences. His unpredictability is what ultimately makes Crotesque such an enjoyable listen.

The ideas presented here don’t sound fully formed, but that doesn’t seem to be the intention. The musicians frequently revert to more formless segues characterized by timbral disparities between the spaciness of the synthesizers and the sharp intrusiveness of the guitars and drums. The trio is able to oscillate rather effortlessly from ‘90s-esque grunge rock to more introspective psychedelic noodling, from hiccupy grooves to full-fledged extraterrestrial jam music.

The album cover for Mystical Weapons’ Crotesque.

One of the most important components of the recording is entirely non-musical. Mystical Weapons is not comprised merely of the three musicians, but also artist Martha Colburn, whose video images are projected on 16-millimeter film. Though Colburn’s  visuals are engaging and cryptic (as evidenced in the video documentation above of the group’s appearance on WNYC’s “Spinning on Air”  program), the seemingly perpetual whirring sound of the projectors creates a formidable presence on the recording. The projectors don’t merely add sonic interest to the overall sound, but they suggest to the listener vital and robust imagery of his or her own creation.

Even if you’re not watching the video clip of the WNYC session, or you are unable to see the group live at their upcoming record release show on December 5 at Union Pool in Brooklyn, the mere suggestion of compelling visuals imbue the music with an even greater energy. The result is less like a studio album and more akin to a “happening.”

What sustains the intrigue of the music is its innate ability to induce a  trance-like listening state.   Crotesque sounds like the ideal soundtrack to an uninhibited bout of dancing, as impromptu as the music that inspires it. Mystical Weapons is clearly a band that is best heard live,  but that shouldn’t stop you from blissing out privately.

For more information on Mystical Weapons, visit Northern Spy Records here.