ALVARIUS B - Baroque Primitiva

By my count, Baroque Primitiva is the sixth album cut by Alvarius B. and is, like its predecessors, a deep swim through mysterious waters. The 11 tracks here were recorded at various sessions over the course of several years and range from Humor Police" (a track that imagines what Syd Barrett might have sounded like had he been a devotee of rembetika) to a trippily Beatles-damaged version of "You Only Live Twice" (the sole surviving shard of the aborted Alvarius B. Plays The Bond Songbook project). Baroque Primitiva is the first long-format telegram from Alvarius B. since he lost his mothership (the Sun City Girls, with whom he employed his slave name, Alan Bishop) and it also feels like his most consistently non-acerbic -- perhaps even most beauty-oriented -- work. The songs often have a meditative pace and are filled with gorgeous lo-fi blends of vocals, guitar, bass and keys. Eyvind Kang guests on several tracks, but the bulk of the material was broadcast direct from the naked soul of Alvarius B., which turns out to be a warmer, sweeter place than you might imagine. The record also marks the return of the equally-legendary Poon Village label, whose 1993 Sun City Girls LP, Live At C.O.N. Artists, is a rare and lovely piece of that bands sonic puzzle. Poon Villages productions are always extraordinary in visual terms, and Baroque Primitiva is no exception. The covers meditative human mandala is a brilliant ocular ode to shifting visions of feminine pulchritude, and is worthy of the best framing job you can afford." -Byron Coley \r\n"Screenprinted jackets feature a double gate, hand-cut spines, and metallic photo print featuring 16 naked girls. Heavy 180 gram black vinyl pressed in the Rust Belt. Limited edition - 300 copies available for sale for the whole world." -Poon Village