Borbetomagus – Borbetomagus

As you can probably guess, this is the debut album by noise jazz masters Borbetomagus. For convenience sake, it is often given the nickname “White Album.” Here, they are ed by one Brian Doherty on electronics. The group has become infamous for their full-on sonic assault. That being said, their debut sees them in a more restrained and more ambient mood than what they would later become. No dense wall of sax and guitar here. Just abstract soundscapes.

But make no mistakes. This album is far from easy listening. Certain moments here can go just as hard as the group’s later works. Examples include the electronics freakout near the end of the opener, the sax blowout at the end of said opener, the age in the middle of the fourth track that sounds like a gathering of aliens, and especially beginning of the CD-exclusive sixth track.

Doherty’s electronics add quite some depth to the album as well. They can either compliment the noise, or help paint the scene the other musicians are trying to craft.

Overall, “White Album” is a solid enough album for fans. For beginners, however, I would prefer you listen to “Snuff Jazz” or “Barbed Wire Maggots” instead. It would be interesting if they had continued to make more music in this style.

Bonus points for the CD having “Includes the smash hit ‘Concordat 5’“. More albums need to do something like that.