Future Ape Tapes

Available for free on their website (futureapetapes.com), the latest by this Athens duo is more topography and atmosphere than conventional pop composition. But liberation from the discipline of song structure is more often a blessing for the artist, not the listener. Though not as guilty as jam bands, experimental ambient music has been the umbrella for a lot of pointless indulgence. Fortunately, Reincarnations>>>> isn't a collection of go-nowhere sonic wanderings. Sure, their chill cerebral streams fade into each other more like an impressionistic collage of memories rather than tidy melodies. But there's enough craft in the vignettes of song that show whenever the sonic lens focuses to suggest some capability and curiosity at work here.

Nearly 13 minutes long, "Life" is more like two songs in one—going from outward, sun-kissed tides to an introverted orbital groove. After opening like a dawn, "Afterlife" breaks down into a subterranean rap interlude and ends up in outer space. "Death" is largely unremarkable, but the hypnotic rhythm of "AfterDeath" weathers a muted storm of pulsing sounds until it emerges on the other side as a warped and sedated No Age-esque melody afloat in Wonderland.

But live is almost always the optimal way to experience soundscaping like this. And over the last year, the group worked on developing its delivery, using instruments, manipulation and a loop-based approach to produce live music. For its unveiling, Reincarnations>>>> will be preformed in its entirety at the Tapes' upcoming show.

Bao Le-Huu
- Flagpole Magazine

The pleasantly weird and infinitely creative Future Ape Tapes have made available their new record Figure Eights as a free download. Recorded live to four-track back in May of this year, the seven-track album advances the identity of the group by huge leaps as opposed to the baby steps taken in the past. Whereas previous Future Ape Tapes worked in a fairly solid hip-hop paradigm, albeit an elastic one, Figure Eights erases the group's entire drawing board. I could easily tell you how it sounds like the group drew influence from King Tubby, Throbbing Gristle, Fela Kuti, Lee Perry, et al., but the fact is that I have no idea what the Future Ape Tapes have been listening to, and nothing on Figure Eights will speak directly to any of these possible explanations. All I can say is, I really dig this, and you’ve got nothing to lose by giving it a spin. Go download it at www.futureapetapes.com.... - Flagpole Magazine