Resonator
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Resonator

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"Aquarius Records Review Lost Language"

The first few seconds of Lost Language, a blast of fuzzy crumbling distortion will have you
expecting the latest slab of monster sludge, or a blast of pummeling downtuned brutality.
And the bands pedigree might have you expecting something similar, guitarist Larry Dolan
produced the debut full length from metallic post rockers Tides and drummer Mikey Lemieux
used to bash the skin for metalcore heavyweights Drowningman. But what you get instead
is some killer, super propulsive, slightly mathy, but very moody, instrumental rock, that
harkens back to bands like Pell Mell. There's all sorts of definite reference points, Pell Mell is
the most obvious, a simultaneously laid back and caffeinated burst of super energetic mathy
groove. But can hear lots of nineties indie rock, plenty of SST, a bit of Tortoise, some
Minutemen for sure. Surf rock guitars are wound tight beneath thick splashy swirls of open
high-hat and frenetic almost funky drumming, the bass is sometimes slithery and dark,
sometimes rubbery and almost dub like. Some tracks stretch into languid epics, others fly
by, a manic expulsion of chaotic energy. Once in a while they sound a little like a less Joy
Division obsessed Interpol, but again with that nineties instrumental rock vibe. The final
track is the show stopper, a near half an hour epic, that almost sounds like the band took
the first seven tracks and rearranged, reshaped, and reimagined them into one lengthy jam,
keening angular riffs, wildly chaotic drumming, a hypnotic neverending epic, with cool
backwards guitars, some My Bloody Valentine swoosh, the whole thing constantly shifting
from full blown overdrive, to laid back lope, and back again, until the whole thing fades to a
haunting soundscape of minimal guitar drone. Finally, a simple tribal rhythm emerges, and
the track unwinds, a slowly decelerating coda, all muted rhythmic rumble and barely there
melody. So cool. - Aquarius Records - San Francicso, CA


"Seven Days - Burlington, VT"

Plattsburgh-based trio Resonator have an intriguing
pedigree. Members include a Montréal-born,
indie-record store employee who formerly pounded
skins for metalcore champs Drowningman, an
Olympian luger on guitar and a bassist who cites
"the Adirondacks" as an influence alongside The
Melvins and Mike Watt. These curious facts might not give a clear idea of
what to expect from the band, but they make perfect sense after
listening to Lost Language.
Plattsburgh's proximity to the post-rock Mecca of Montréal is reflected in
Resonator's dramatic and atmospheric style. But to dismiss the band as
clones of their better-known neighbors is to do them a great disservice.
Resonator engage in what might have once been called "jamming" in
the days before "jam" became not only a genre, but a dirty word to
well-washed music fans everywhere. Each of their songs is the product
of extended improvisations, which are subsequently refined in the
studio. This working method gives their material a unique character.
In the course of a single tune, it's possible to hear skittering dance-punk hi-hats, tribal interludes, Daniel Ash-style guitar, impassioned tremolo
crescendos and faux Middle Eastern melodic breaks.
Resonator admirably takes each of these elements to their logical
conclusion, occasionally pushing beyond their technical abilities. Still, the
band shines amidst such chaos, as the music threatens to collapse but
never quite does. They fare particularly well on the album's final,
24-minute epic "Departures/Arrivals." Here, they go to another kind of
extreme, stripping things down to a dub-inflected drum-and-bass pulse
backed by a quiet wash of guitar.
The trio certainly has grand ambitions. On their MySpace page they
state, "Our music is a form of collaborative expression. We strive to
convey our impressions of the world around us in language that is our
own, but understandable to anyone willing to listen. We believe that
music can break down the barriers that separate us from one another
socially and culturally."
That's a lofty goal for a recording that lasts a little under an hour, but
Resonator has made a serious go of it. In a time when most indie-rock
bands are content to settle into the well-worn ruts of their predecessors,
such drive is commendable.
- Chris Miller


"Amp Camp Review"

Woe to he who would dare to think that instrumental rock music is simply rock music without the vocals. As an inherently repetitous musical form, rock usually relies heavily on vocals to provide landmarks and variation. When you lose the vocals in a rock song, many times you're losing almost the entirety of the song.

Resonator understands what all of this implies for an instrumental rock band. Avoiding the easy fall into the morass of prog style masterba-riffage, they choose to keep their songs interesting through sheer force of will. The bass lines are more often than not the propulsive force behind Resonator's songs, leaving the drums to engage in rhuthmic embellishments while the guitar lines are free to provide accents, melody and atmosphere.

The band also has a canny sense of cohesion which makes Lost Language's first half seem more like one extended piece than five individual rock songs. It's the second half, however, where the band really cooks. "Cycles", "Ghost of Tahawus II" and "Departures" are all flat out balls to the wall rock and roll fireballs so hot that without the cooling power of "Arrivals" closing the album, your CD player might melt just a little. - Amp Camp On-line Store


Discography

2006 - Never Trust a Hipster (ep)
2006 - Lost Language (full length CD)
2008 - (upcoming summer release)

Photos

Bio

Resonator is primarily Trevor Cole (bass) and Larry Dolan (guitar). Our music is kinship and collaborative expression. We have worked with a number of people in the past including: Rob Dowler (drums), Mikey Lemieux (drums), Todd Recore (drums) Jay Hopkins (guitar), Mike Dickman (drums), and Brian Keiser (occasional sax freak-out). We are burning fields and North Country winters.

Resonator was formed in the Autumn of 2000 by Trevor, Larry and original drummer Todd Recore. The three intended to create music that was an expression of each member yet was executed as a congruent whole. The idea was to communicate with the listener in a way that allowed for the individual to interpret what they were hearing and feeling. This was the reason for choosing to be an instrumental group.

During this period the trio recorded three self-released CD-R's. They were prolific, but remained obscure. At this time their sound was more reserved and ambient. They were as comfortable playing Valentine's in Albany with noise outfits such as Struction as they were playing public and co-operative art spaces.

In September of 2005 the band played CMJ with drummer Mikey Lemieux.

In August of 2006 they released the full length Album "Lost Language." It was received very well. Some press highlights were:
"A simultaneously laid back and caffeinated burst of super energetic mathy groove. You can hear lots of nineties indie rock, plenty of SST, a bit of Tortoise, some Minutemen for sure... languid epics and manic expulsions of chaotic energy."
- Aquarius Records, San Francisco, CA

"Plattsburgh's proximity to the post-rock Mecca of Montreal is reflected in Resonator's dramatic and atmospheric style. But to dismiss the band as clones of their better-known neighbors is to do them a great disservice."
-Chris Miller, Seven Days, Burlington, VT

"Resonator Time warps through a vinyl-exque music-scape, circa '70's, spun with a 21st-century eco-ethos."
-Robin Caudell, Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, NY

In April of 2007 Resonator shared the stage with popular instrumental math-rockers, Battles, at La Sala Rosa in Montreal.

As 2008 dawns we are hunkered down in our studio next to the wood stove completing our next album.

We believe that music can break down the barriers that separate us from one another. Music is the oldest language in the world and in the future it will define the dawning paradigm.

We invite you to listen and encourage you to be heard.