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Bong Watt -
If It Works, It's Obsolete
C46
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Side A:
1. The Social Hormone
2. Into the Age of the Iron Whim
3. Sounding Brass or Tinkling Symbol
Side B:
1. The Toy That Shrank the National Chest
2. The Tribal Drum
3. The Timid Giant
bandcamp
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Walter Wright: Board Weevil, contact mic, drum snare, cymbal, metal fork, hand drum, sardine can
Watt: bass guitar
Al Margolis: Roland MC 202 Microcomposer, Korg guitar synth, processed electronics, contact mic, bowed bbq skewer, toy drum, trombone mouthpiece, metal
ELKA BONG is Al Margolis & Walter Wright
Recorded by Walter Wright, Watt and Al Margolis in 2023
Mixed by Al Margolis
Artwork by Walter Wright
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Reviews: (Vital Weekly) The second release is by Elka Bong, the duo of Walter Wright (Board Weevil, contact mic, drum snare, cymbal, metal fork, hand drum, sardine can) and Al Margolis (Roland MC 202 Microcomposer, Korg guitar synth,
processed electronics, contact mic, bowed bbq skewer, toy drum, trombone mouthpiece, metal) and Mike Watt, who only (!) plays the bass guitar. One might know him from bands he co-founded, such as Minuteman, Dos and fIREHOSE. There is no recording date or environment mentioned anywhere, so it is very well a concert recording or from a studio (even a collaboration is an option). As with much of Margolis' music (for me, he's the best-known name here), this is straight into the improvisation corner, but as with much of his work, there is that electro-acoustic component, which is quite the distinguishing factor. This, too, is the case with Elka Bong's music, basically doubling the action. There are many small sounds, flying about, stabs at a keyboard, abused toys, and the occasional percussive hit. Watt adds his bass improvisation; perhaps his instrument is the one constant recognisable one, no matter his approach. As it is sometimes buried within what the other two are doing, the bass becomes more of a subtle ghost, a resounding presence, a subtle bass rumble. The music is quite wild anyway, as this trio likes their energy levels up and is very dynamic, which requires quite your attention, especially if one wants to pay attention to all the details presented. - Frans De Waard
(Lost In A Sea Of Sound) Bong Watt is the sound for Oscar Reutersvärd’s drawings. Impossible shapes bent within the conscious as sonic earwigs burrow holes in the frontal lobe. Trying to think about “If It Works, It’s Obsolete” is beyond true abilities. There is no beginning, no destination to get to, only a micro-dose of sound chaos that becomes more familiar with each listen. With many listens in the tank, Walter Wright and Al Margolis (Elka Bong) with Mike Watt create the most subtly gentle entropy. These sounds are an arrangement for energy escaping through tiny cracks and fissures. Varying pressures causing an infinite diversity in the aural shape and feel. The bass is not present throughout, but when present, it resonates as a predator, eating up sonic fractals as they spin away from the decaying source. “If It Works, It’s Obsolete” is not for everyone. Sounds are exploratory and require the most open mind and patience. There is no path, there is only the single moment that is constantly mutating and changing. Walter Wright and Al Margolis use many different methods for making sounds. With the proper time for listening, this composition will be as much fun as hopefully it was to create it. - Ken Lower
(Disaster Amnesiac) An Open Letter To Disaster Amnesiac To Be Re-read In 2034: Hey, dude, how've you been? OK, I hope, and I trust that you're still enjoying lots of different types of music. You always did, so it would not be surprising if that's still the case. This is just a friendly letter to you from the year 2024. Do you recall all of the craziness that's transpired in this year? Totally wild. Things you did not expect to occur have occurred, and, really, as I sit here on a July day in Tucson (by the way, where are you residing these days?), it seems as though many more crazy events will transpire before Western Civilization begins the year 2025. Anyway, to the meat of this letter (oh, and are you still practicing a plant-based diet? hope so): I just wanted to remind you to take a fresh listen to If It Works, It's Obsolete by Bong Watt Collab #3 on eh? Records. You still have your copy, right? Sure do hope so. As you listened to this work from three guys who've amassed, at this time, like 150 years' collectively within the creative music scene, you've found intriguing blends of Electro-Acoustic Music that has struck you as being of a quite hermetic nature. Yes, you have struggled a bit to find ways with which to describe the sounds that Walter Wright, Mike Watt, and Al Margolis have conjured up. Hell yeah, it's VERY abstract, the entire thing! It's music that a listener must listen to, and preferably without distractions such as cell phones, art magazines, or baseball games on the tube. Well, maybe an art magazine would be alright. You could contrast whichever article you're digging on with the sumptuous cover art which adorns this cassette. Wright, Watt, and Margolis draw from their respective lengthy individual experiences in order to cook up sounds that are deep and mysterious. At times you've felt almost as if you've been watching a group of people do yoga together or something. This can be a daunting process, but, you'll recall that there were long stretches of time during the Summer of 2024 when you didn't have much else to do. Hopefully you look back with ten years' distance and recall the sublimely abstract sounds that are documented within If It Works, It's Obsolete. Again, if you struggle to do so, I trust that you've still got your copy and it's easily accessible. After all, it's got the kind of sounds that remain interesting for weirdos such as yourself. You are still weird, right? I hope so. Guys such as the players within Bong Watt have retained their groovy weirdo status, and so can you, Disaster Amnesiac! It's absolutely a good thing, even for a dude in his sixties! OK, go and dig up that copy of that great tape from Bong Watt and rediscover its strange contours! Ciao homeslice. - Mark Pino
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