333maxwell - Culture Wars

Hear The Track Here

Welp, 333maxwell has thrown just about every other genre at me, seems only right and fitting that he should now delve into a bit of soundtrackery. Electronica:Tribal is the genre it goes under and to be honest, I think I'd agree with that absolutely. Personally I loved this artists jazz work as my Must Have's for Post War Dreaming (September 2008) and After Hours (November 2008) - both of which ended up in my Tracks Of The Year 2008 list and rightly so. It has to be said that he hasn't fared anything like as well with some of his forays into electric blues but that's probably down to my own prejudice than anything 333maxwell is doing wrong. Whichever track you may pick, it will show that this is a musician who takes time and trouble with his work.

Culture War is actually the soundtrack for a pictorial video Chas Holman (aka 333maxwell) is making about Afghanistan and its larger meaning, so its kinda odd to that electronica rears its techno head. When you hear the track, though, it becomes pretty clear that the electronica element is kept to a minimum, because the track relies on a lot of analog and organic sounds. Seeing as I dabble with gazillions of organic sounds from all over the world in my own work, I am super sensitive when I hear tracks using them, but 333maxwell delivers in high style - even to the point where I even surmounted my own sheer terror when faced with the word 'soundtrack'.

Aye, it's a morbid fear, I know.

The more I listened to Culture War, the more I got from it; it's a deceptively easy listen. That might, however, be down to my love of world music, of which this is a shining example. In his jazz work Chas impressed the heck out of me with his selection of instruments and his mastery of the exact atmosphere needed to pull it all off. Culture War is in the same class; a moody, evocative piece that has you spitting out sand and screaming for water before the first minute is up. It's edginess creeps up on you though, coming through as you get used to the tenor of the track. It certainly whets my appetite for seeing the complete video and that - after all - I guess is the whole point.

MUST HAVE world music (kinda/sorta)