Lossless Loss

Lossless Loss is Kohoutek's second studio release. It was recorded in a single day during September 2007, with the core trio of Scott Allison (electronics), Scott Verrastro (percussion), and Craig Garrett (bass), plus guitarist Vic Salazar and multi-instrumentalist Damian Languell, who shifts back and forth between harmonica, clarinet, didgeridoo, and tape-delayed vocalizations. Released on gorgeous creamsicle-like orange-and-cream vinyl by Prophase Music, Lossless Loss features two untitled side-long improvisations (although some sources list them as "Lossless" and "Loss"). The first one is a placid, slow-brewing affair, a heady blend of trippy psychedelia and drony meditation. A slow beat and riff eventually emerge, but they hold back, refusing to become the focus of the track. The flip side is a different beast: noisy, momentum-gathering, beat-driven, jam-inflected, with Salazar's simple riffs taking center stage. Both are inspired, but the first track is more distinctive, while the second one, though more assertive, includes a couple of moments of awkward musicianship (Verrastro's beat is unsteady; Salazar clearly runs momentarily short of ideas at one time). The album is packaged in a gorgeous sleeve featuring a striking sculpture made of skulls (humans, rodents, and birds, it seems) by Mike Peter Smith. ~ François Couture