Rarefaction

According to Rarefaction’s bandcamp they are minimalist, neo-folk, post punk (amongst other descriptors) but their live show is something far more straight forward. Though minimal in instrumentation (predominately bass and drums) the end result is both ambient and cacophonous like an unholy marriage of bassy garage punk and sweeping instrumental post rock. Big dynamics in the vein of Mogwai with the frenetic energy of Death From Above 1979 at their most aggressive. You’d have to see these guys live to understand. The stuff online is lush, beautiful, and well worth the listen, but a different beast. - Exiled in Eugene

Music is best when it evokes images or feelings. And it's even better when it's done through instrumental music. '...The Dancer, The Dance...' is an Ep with three, bass-driven, instrumental pieces that evoke imagery with every track. These three songs sound as though they were lifted from a movie soundtrack.

The 4/4 quarter note strum of acoustic guitars on 'Slow Fall' open the Ep. The acoustics are slowly overtaken by bass and synth pads which might underscore a scene of deep thought and reflection, or a slow-motion heroine trip. 'For Ophelia And The Silent Sea,' seems a variation of 'Slow Fall' with its similar sounding dark synths, echoes and delays, but with more momentum. This one depicts a drive on a long stretch of road on an overcast, misty New England day. The Ep finishes on a more hopeful note with the Joy Division/New Order sounding bass guitar piece, 'Happy Endings? (In The Stairwell Everything Was Better...)'

Rarefaction is the Brooklyn-based musician Jerold H., who performed all the music on '...The Dancer, The Dance...'. On his website he says, 'Rarefaction is a reference to sparseness & minimalism. It is the space in-between.' Sparse and minimal is a good way to describe the music and this Ep.
- S.A. Sebastian - Chain D.L.K.

We’re facing a very minimal kind of soundtrack music. The guitar is the main instrument of Rarefaction. The opening track “SlowFall” is driven by a deep, humming bass play. Some extra electro-atmospheric sounds have been added on top. The upcoming song “For Ophelia And The Silent Sea” sounds a bit different, but from a technical point of view it’s a real cool song. We here get 2 guitar layers creating a fascinating duo-play. All the songs remain instrumentals, which is only accentuating the soundtrack feeling. The 3rd and final song is less convincing, but globally speaking I was ravished by the sound of this project.
Rarefaction isn’t exactly the kind of band I suspect to have a huge fan base, but quality doesn’t always stand for popularity.
(ED:6/7)ED. by Bernard Van Isacker - Side-Line magazine (Belgium)

Like the feeling of pinching yourself to see if you are awake or still sleeping. Like a brief feeling of astonishment that nevertheless leaves us with a lasting impression. "Rarefaction" makes alternative music outside of the norm, especially if you think that to be a truly alternative band, a band must to have a minimum of at least three tracks on its album that exceed ten minute otherwise, you're out!
The band in question is such an alternative, so ahead of its time, that has put out only three tracks that added together do not even exceed seven minutes in length… There you have it, my dear independent musicians, who pass your gloomy sleepless nights in the search for the perfect riff, by stringing together, compiling ideas but in the end, the result is ten boring minutes of all of the same. Ok fine, I'm also nuts for Archive and their ability to drag a song on endlessly, but I am just ruffling some feathers, a way to say that even with only a short time one can also achieve the feat of giving emotions a go-go, as do these two boys of Brooklyn. And perhaps, in retrospect, to focus and be able to impress and the most difficult of it all, to make a song. This band's creed is their minimalism. The instrument that succeeds above all in The Dancer, The Dance is the ever distorted guitar and very well arpeggiated that gives a dark atmospheric sound belonging in the soundtrack of the film Blade Runner. Especially in the first song entitled "SlowFall", also with the help of synthesizers, the American duo gives us the feeling of traveling on one of those police boats(from the movie mentioned) with Harrison Ford, watching a bleak landscape, made only with neon lights. Long live simplicity. Long live Rarefaction.
-Alessio Basile (translation courtesy of Alexandre Perez)

Come un pizzicotto ricevuto per capire se siamo svegli o stiamo ancora dormendo. Come un’emozione di stupore di breve durata ma che lascia comunque un segno tangibile dentro di noi. I Rarefaction creano musica alternativa al di fuori di ogni schema, soprattutto se pensiamo che per essere veri alternativi al giorno d’oggi come minimo nel tuo nuovo album ci devono essere almeno tre tracks che superano i dieci minuti se no, mio caro, sei out.
La band in questione è talmente alternativa, talmente avanti, che ha fatto uscire solo tre pezzi che sommati tra di loro non superano i sette minuti di durata… Tiè, miei cari musicisti indipendenti che passate le vostre cupe notti insonni nel cercare il riff perfetto, modellandolo, plasmandolo ma che poi alla fine il risultato è ottenere dieci minuti tutti uguali e noiosi. Ok va bene, anch’io impazzisco per i miei cari Archive e il loro saper trascinare all’infinito una canzone, la mia è soltanto una provocazione, un modo per dire che anche con poco tempo si riesce lo stesso a regalare emozioni a go-go, come del resto fanno questi due ragazzi di Brooklyn. E forse, a pensarci, concentrare e riuscire a stupire è il modo più difficile per fare una canzone. I Rarefaction fanno del minimal il loro credo. Lo strumento che vince su tutti in The Dancer, The Dance è la chitarra mai distorta e ben arpeggiata che dona atmosfere dark quasi da colonna sonora del film Blade Runner. Soprattutto nella prima canzone intitolata “SlowFall”, aiutati anche dai synth, il duo americano ci dà la sensazione di viaggiare su una di quelle navicelle della polizia con Harrison Ford che guarda un paesaggio tetro, fatto solo di luci al neon. Viva la semplicità, viva i Rarefaction.
-Alessio Basile - Shiver Webzine (Italy)

Music for the RIsing Sun (benefit compilation) "From its very opening with the tragic and heart touching instrumental For Ophelia And The Silent Sea by Rarefaction it’s apparent that this is going to be a rich and diverse release with its compassion shining through" -James Paterson, Necromag.co.uk - Necromag (UK)

Rarefaction – Vox Demos
Track Listing: Arabia, Philomel, Rain, Station Dream.
There must be something in the water because musicians from Brooklyn are pretty darn decent. No exception here. This demo from Rarefaction has very limited info on it but refers to their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/rarefactionNYC where you can hear an additional song.
The song on MySpace varies from what I sampled. I really enjoyed the demo. All the selected songs are much slower and basic. My only critique is that when mastering the vocals they need to be a little louder. Otherwise nothing but enjoyment.
The sound is pure, sometimes only two or three instruments and the vocals. The feel reminds me of a gloomy, nineties-era chick singer type i.e. Lisa Loeb, with more substance. Ava/Mad Tristan (sic) provides strong, heartfelt vocals, most prelevent on the second track where she is only accompanied by guitar. The music is sparse and straightforward, just the bare essentials. The result is very beautiful and haunting. The simplicity means their composition is right out there without layers of sound to hide behind; it’s solid.
Rarefaction is Ava/Mad Tristan(sic) (lead vocals), Jerold H.(instrumentation), and D. Scott Diperna.
--Mistress McCutchan - Morbid Outlook

Rarefaction – Vox Demos
Track Listing: Arabia, Philomel, Rain, Station Dream.
There must be something in the water because musicians from Brooklyn are pretty darn decent. No exception here. This demo from Rarefaction has very limited info on it but refers to their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/rarefactionNYC where you can hear an additional song.
The song on MySpace varies from what I sampled. I really enjoyed the demo. All the selected songs are much slower and basic. My only critique is that when mastering the vocals they need to be a little louder. Otherwise nothing but enjoyment.
The sound is pure, sometimes only two or three instruments and the vocals. The feel reminds me of a gloomy, nineties-era chick singer type i.e. Lisa Loeb, with more substance. Ava/Mad Tristan (sic) provides strong, heartfelt vocals, most prelevent on the second track where she is only accompanied by guitar. The music is sparse and straightforward, just the bare essentials. The result is very beautiful and haunting. The simplicity means their composition is right out there without layers of sound to hide behind; it’s solid.
Rarefaction is Ava/Mad Tristan(sic) (lead vocals), Jerold H.(instrumentation), and D. Scott Diperna.
--Mistress McCutchan - Morbid Outlook

rarefaction
Ciao Edie Roxx
June 9, 2006

Simplicity, minimalism, utility … am I talking about a jeep or a band? Well, the latter, actually. The sparse turnout for the Brooklyn, NY gothic, electronica band, rarefaction goes nicely with the paired down quality of their stage presence and the sound they emit. The hour is young, the bartenders bored. A telephone trills and people begin to trickle in. The lead singer [is] truly the power behind the trio, consisting of a guitar player, a bassist and a synthesizer/percussion/drum machine... Void of stage costumes, and ego (the bassist doesn’t face the crowd the entire time), the despairing melodies that sidle up to the hauntingly beautiful voice and lyrics of this experimental band make you want to create or just sit and think. Not for the faint of heart, or those who want to thrash drunkenly either. Rarefaction does not entertain but command your adept attention while the howling lyric ends with “…and the worst part is that I don’t die.” -Jess Shulist

http://www.spillmagazine.com/nxne.htm#rare
- Spill Magazine

Comprised of vocalist Mad Tristan and instrumentalist Jerald H., Rarefaction's Vox Demos is a 4 song sampling of bass and guitar driven goth/post-punk melancholia. Obvious Joy Division, Siouxsie, and, perhaps, Dead Can Dance influences permeate the duo's toned-down, instrumentally minimalist yet strongly melodic musical blend, often effectively driven by a sole melodic instrument and vocals.

"Arabia" sports the cliché eastern melodic motifs expected from its title, compacting them into a nice package with undertones of early 80s Siouxsie and the Banshees. The moody simplicity and sparsity of "Philomel", nicely arranged for bass and vocals, certainly stands out as one of the best here and proves the band's prowess and charisma is rooted in far more than production and superficial allusions to past artists. "Rain", on the other hand, takes a similar bass formula but supplements it with driving percussion for a more intense offering, while the low-key guitar arpeggios, underplayed vocal work, and plodding percussion of "Station Dream" provide a stark, lovely finale.

In short, all four songs here are excellent, showcasing a sound that's low-key and sparse yet atmospheric and effective. While there's actually very little here that necessitates strong production and mixing skills, the production and recordings are, nevertheless, solid and impressive, as is the songwriting. With such a stunning demo EP, it'll be interesting to see where they go on their full-length debut, due out in 2006.
--Joshua Heinrich

http://www.graveconcernsezine.com/review_rarefaction.html - Grave Concerns e-zine

Rarefaction - Vox Demos [EP]
by Stephanie Myers
When music crtics use words like "atmospheric" in reviews, they're
usually referring to albums like this - tonal, dark, and minor-key.
There's a temptation to say everything that's been said before, but
descriptions like that are a cop-out, so I won't do it. So, instead,
I'll say that there's four-tracks here of music of that nature, and if,
say, I WERE to use that word, you'd probably know what I'm talking
about right away. - The Deli Magazine (NYC)

Rarefaction -- VOX DEMOS [self-released]

Rarefaction is a minimalist duo from NYC, singer Mad Tristan and multi-instrumentalist Jerold H. Their sonic palette is derived from a healthy range of influences, mostly electronic and punk in nature, but the major component of their sound is a trinity of sparse arrangements, elegant vocals, and a bass sound that owes a huge debt to New Order-era Peter Hook. The sound of the songs on this cd-r (a sampler of tunes available for download to the public on their Myspace page) remind me a lot of late-eighties records like the Cure's PORNOGRAPHY, early New Order, Kate Bush, Wire, This Mortal Coil, Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins... in other words, bands with a sound built around minimal arrangements and maximum tone / atmosphere. The production is really sparse but atmospheric, and the songs are stripped-down but well-constructed. I like this a lot. I'm looking forward to hearing the band's debut album, scheduled to appear sometime in 2006.

http://www.monotremata.com/dead/da04/music_reviews.html
- The One True Dead Angel

Rarefaction -- VOX DEMOS [self-released]

Rarefaction is a minimalist duo from NYC, singer Mad Tristan and multi-instrumentalist Jerold H. Their sonic palette is derived from a healthy range of influences, mostly electronic and punk in nature, but the major component of their sound is a trinity of sparse arrangements, elegant vocals, and a bass sound that owes a huge debt to New Order-era Peter Hook. The sound of the songs on this cd-r (a sampler of tunes available for download to the public on their Myspace page) remind me a lot of late-eighties records like the Cure's PORNOGRAPHY, early New Order, Kate Bush, Wire, This Mortal Coil, Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins... in other words, bands with a sound built around minimal arrangements and maximum tone / atmosphere. The production is really sparse but atmospheric, and the songs are stripped-down but well-constructed. I like this a lot. I'm looking forward to hearing the band's debut album, scheduled to appear sometime in 2006.

http://www.monotremata.com/dead/da04/music_reviews.html
- The One True Dead Angel

Rarefaction
Vox Demos EP
I didn't know what to expect, but I'm happy with what I got. This band is basically a duo of bubbling bass and Nico-style creepy-but-sexy vocals. The minor key bass gives it a cool dark feel, but the vocals are bright and earnest enough to keep it from sliding into silly or uncomfortable goth.

http://readmag.com/Reviews/musicreviews.htm
(scroll down to 'R') - READ Magazine

RAREFACTION
- VOX DEMOS -

So it’s Mad Tristan on vocals and Jerold H on instruments? That threw me when the female vocals swoon and swoop over the westernised jangle of subtle, dour guitar than move constantly through opener ‘Arabia’. (What sort of parents call their daughter Tristan? What woman naturally selects such a name? Ah, a mad one! Right, moving on…….) This tumbling jumble is well worked out and hangs together loosely, shyly, other than the semi-strident delivery, and they catch you out with a sweetly abrupt ending. There is a gloomier start as ‘Philomel’ begins a fairly traditional morose journey, but as the cool vocals drift with the sounds so there is a real bite to the troubled sounds, because of the space they allow everything, and this also heightens the disturbing mood.

‘Rain’ has a serious tone for such a short piece and a meticulous, bubbling rhythm and really finishes with a sense of mystery held high. The simplicity of a duo gives everything life, and funnily they mention Peter Hook and Dead Can Dance as influences, but ‘Station Dream’ could be a pointed early Suzanne Vega. The vocals are beautifully glazed and you follow the strolling sound and story, with the guitar ticking it all. The lyrics will have you absorbed in their gentle creepiness. I actually felt cheated when they stopped.

A fascinating debut. Truly.
---
http://www.mickmercer.com/mmset.html
(scroll down to Nov. 12, 2005)
- Mick Mercer - music historian/author

Music for the RIsing Sun (benefit compilation) "From its very opening with the tragic and heart touching instrumental For Ophelia And The Silent Sea by Rarefaction it’s apparent that this is going to be a rich and diverse release with its compassion shining through" -James Paterson, Necromag.co.uk - Necromag (UK)