Wind and Wire
On his website, Peter Busboom (a.k.a. P. Busboom) describes his music as a blend of ambient, electronica, and trip-hop. That's better
than I could come up with! The Beginning is one of those albums that critics like me dread: good music that defies easy
classification. Besides the genres the artist himself lists, I also heard ethno-tribal, progressive fusion, and maybe even a little hybrid
d 'n' b! Yikes! Now what do I do? Help!!!!
Okay, seriously, Busboom plays both a mean electric guitar (unless it's sampled, but I'll bet not) and some super keyboards too, plus
he knows how to layer samples, rhythms, melodies, textures, and whatnot in creative and catchy ways. This is immediately apparent
on the almost eight-minute opening title track which throws ebbing/flowing synths at you with some great electric guitar leads, those
infectious semi-drum and bass beats, snazzy acoustic guitar work, and that's all in the first few minutes. The piece evolves into
clanging reverberating tones (is that a sampled mouth harp I hear?) and swirling synths and also features snippets of dialogue from a
sexy-voiced women. Hell, there's even whalesong - and it works! Huzzah!
Of course, he instantly moves into a different vibe altogether with "Rainmode" opening with deeply echoed clicking glitch beats that
morphs into a mellow slice of chill-out meets ambient dub, featuring smooth EM pulses and gentle melodic textures (I think it's
processed guitar). The sound of a steadily falling rain drapes the track in a hint of sadness (according to Busboom's site, this track was
influenced by the events of 9/11/01). The cut features an eerie wailing siren among the somber tones and slow beats. "Awosting" is yet
another left-turn, this time into quasi-tribal soundscapes, beginning with crickets and other nocturnal creatures, gently pealing electric
guitar, and a subtle whirring drone in the background. This goes on for awhile before the rapidly beating wings usher in the tribal
elements consisting of sultry and sensual hand drums (one sounds like a water drum) and a echoing chime-like tone. Comparisons to
artists like o yuki conjugate and Tuu spring to mind at this point. Later (the track is nine minutes long) he introduces pleasant, even
serene, keyboard melodic elements and some languid electric guitar leads.
Still to come is the percolating and peppy "The Victim of the Crow" which blends bouncy synth tones with solid riffing and tasty loops
on the guitar and more of those quasi-drum and bass beats. I'd have to label this closer to progressive fusion than ambient, but it
certainly has some ambient-ish qualities. "Hollywood's Loss" is short (not quite three minutes) and closer to more definitive
ambient music with synth tones and washes and distant electric guitar that paint a brief soundscape. While I would have left the
guitar off the track entirely, Busboom keeps it so far back in the mix that it never intrudes enough to derail the smooth flow of the
cut. The album concludes with "Yellow Fin" which criss-crosses from mellow guitar jazz to retro EM and back again and settles into
a chugging aggressive rhythmic prog fusion piece.
Obviously, an album with this assortment of styles will not be everyone's cup of tea, but Busboom handles the variety with skillful
technique and plenty of artistry as well. The Beginning is a CD that exemplifies a sustained vision that spans more than a few genres,
yet retains the artist's stamp of characteristic individuality (somehow, no matter how disparate any one track is from the other, the
album holds together as a cohesive statement). I wouldn't mind seeing Busboom concentrate one of his future efforts in a more
straight-ahead ambient direction, but for now, I recommend this recording.
-Bill Binkelman
New Age Reporter
Rattling the Cages of the Ordinary
Exotic guitarist/composer P. Busboom has just released a highly charged album that could be the soundtrack for some macabre
chemical experiment. Somewhere out there, a mad scientist is in his secret lab cobbling up a new way to use peanut butter. His
environment is cold, stark and completely silent. This is where the album The Beginning comes in. Busboom's music could
supply the stimulating energy that would be the main catalyst in the experiment. It will provide a way for the scientist to imagine
new uses for his creation and it will surely be a boon to mankind.
Peter Busboom has been a busy guitarist. Born in Germany, he played in various bands until technology took him by the hand and led
him to the exciting world of experimantal music. He has produced a lot of background music for festivals, traveling exhibitionsand films.
You may even have heard his music on TV commercials. He has released two other albums, Whalezone and Klangart.
The Beginning is his latest foray into the electronic/experimental/ambient dimension.
The title tune, "The Beginning" is a bit frenetic, but it is also exciting and energetic. It assaults the senses with its syncopated
percussion, rollicking guitar licks and quavering rhythm. It has human voices coming and going, strange sound effects, and
pitter-patter drumming that stimulates the consciousness. I don't think it represents the creation of a planet, especially ours, but it does
put forth a lot of energy and that is the basis of all creation, man-made or otherwise. "Rainmode" was inspired by the horribly
tragic events of September 11, 2001 in the U.S. Busboom uses echoing sonics and a whining guitar score that characterizes the
deliberate passage of time that eventurally catches up with the rain. In the distance wailing sirens and reverberating synth parts are
the confusion and pain that immediately followed the tragedy. The sound of falling rain, which pervades the cut, may be a cleansing
of sorts. A little bit of scintillating industrial ambience opens the tune "A Victim of the Crow." The crow, intelligent, adaptable,
sometimes sinister, is a notorious thief. Immobile objects and shiny things vie for his attention. You have to wonder what has been
lost if you become a victim. A favorite bauble? A ribbon-bound lock of her hair? A soul perhaps? This particular cut has a shiny
groove track that permits thought dancing and wakeful daydreams. Beware that crows travel in large groups. What? You never heard
of a murder of crows?
What is ascertained in the song "Hollywood's Loss"? I can tell you the story. She traveled on the cold, smelly bus cross country
eating stale crackers and Cokes from the vending machine. She begged for an audition, but was turned down because she wasn't
glossy enough or fast enough or ignoble enough. She returned and, like a shiny penny on a Plinko board, fell into her niche. But you
knew the truth. You knew she had the deepest beauty you had ever seen. Superb guitar lead and sad, unearthly synth track makes
this song remarkable.
And finally, "Yellow Fin", the last track and perhaps, the most enigmatic. With an unexpected background of synthesized strings and
oscilloscope type transmissions, this song is lighter and sometimes darker than Busboom's other tracks. It has a smooth jazz guitar
score lingering at the back and vies for position along with a punchy, bubbling lead that sounds like an ascent on a flight of metal
stairs. The grinding of industrial machinery comes into play and the song transforms into a dance groove/disco montage.
P. Busboom took more than twenty years to show his artfully creative side to the public. The Beginning may be the beginning
of a succession of forceful and energetic works that will delight his listeners. Let us hope that he doesn't wait as long for his next
contribution.
-RJ Lannan
