Wounded Knee – Etive Shepherds/Single Malt Symphony

Withhold from Wounded Knee your full attention and you might as well listen to the hum of kitchen appliances, so focus. Both Etive Shepherds and Single Malt Symphony alternate between repetitive vocal loops and even more abstract drones, but although little seems to happen, all the small adjustments and refinements add up to something rather hypnotic. A microwave’s whir doesn’t softly surprise the way the arrival of a fresh texture does here; a fridge’s buzz will never become inexplicably moving the way this does after long periods in its company.

These slight rewards aren’t going to convince those who’ve already pegged Wounded Knee an impressive but patience-testing novelty, nor those desiring instant pleasures from their music (at least live there is immediate enjoyment to be had witnessing the layering process up close). But with a little effort and a lotta perseverance, you might just come around to Drew Wight’s experimental mindset. [Chris Buckle]