Audversity.com (March 2007)
17-03-2007
Sorry for the shoddy representation of the album cover but there are some things even Google can't do. But I'm not too surprised, especially when general consensus of this group leans heavily on words like "enigmatic", "improvisational", and the dreaded "unclassifiable". However, it is certain that Christa Pfangen is the female Italian duo of Andrea Belfi and Mattia Coletti, and NOT the actual Christa Pfangen (better known to us as Nico). Further investigation reveals a whole new world of Italian experimental music. Aside from knowing Larsen and Ovo, I have to admit complete ignorance of Italy's avant garde scene. Die Schachtel seems to be the place, though, a label with a solid ideological base; "Die Schachtel" apparently being a metaphor for, amongst other things, the conceptual and creative space occupied by both composers and publishers of music.
You can throw alot of terms at Christa Pfangen but none of them truly stick. Watch Me Getting Back The End will be attractive to fans of Animal Collective's type of playful abstraction, the tricky technical wizardry of Battles, or Sigur Ros's post-rock soundscapes. More specifically, this duo creates electro-acoustic alchemy with an improvisational feel. Despite the improv tag, Christa Pfangen manages to be quite fluid, employing treated voice to smooth things over, to add a touch of human warmth, although proceedings rarely veer into the red, avoiding becoming too skronky or wanky. "Today" is a song of soft edges and watercolor sensibilities, two voices interlocking in harmony as guitar and drum turn tricks in the distance. The drumming here is exceptional, sometimes free jazz kit work and at other times, like on "Showing You How A Soft Beat Works As Well", settling into a surprisingly deliberate breakbeat.
For all their experimentation, Christa Pfangen makes surprisingly pleasant music. There's peace made between guitar and drum interplay, hugged by rich electronic washes and gentle voices bereft of words. Watch Me Getting Back The End has alot of potential appeal, especially to the internet-seekers here in the States. And while I'd love to see these Italian musicians get their due, lets try to avoid making Italo electro-acoustic avant garde another passing blogosphere trend.
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Andrea Belfi
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