- Brisbane has this collection of talented and disciplined musicians who, whilst being more than capable of creating and performing any of the contemporary forms conventionally, seek to push and pull on the boundaries of what is possible, what is tasteful and what is fulfilling musically. You may have heard of Kodiak Empire, Born Dead or Milton Man Gogh, they all occupy that curious corner of Brisbane with the latest ensemble to emerge being The Biology of Plants.
Consisting of bass, drums, electronic keys and cello, their introductory EP, cleanly titled Vol.1, employs a graceful inventiveness across its nineteen minutes. More than fit for the soundtracking of wide-lensed time-lapses of the moorland zone of Kilimanjaro or possibly a boutique short film exploring the engineering of the Renault Trezor as it displays it’s abilities from the bottom to the top of the French alps. Because, as it stands, the track titles (Bok Choi, Long Black, Bonsai) coupled with the fine details and the great drama of the compositions, display a distinct appreciation for the relationship between human processes and organic material.
Among the progressive nature of the odd time signatures and innovative structures, the textual interplay is one the most important features of the EP. The electric keys will invade the space between the players with a neatly manipulated LFO only for the fibrous character of the cello to pull you out of the encompassing static. Conversely, there are moments where the synthesised sounds take the lead and elevate the track to new heights. It’s in these otherworldly spaces and conceptual prototypes where saw waves and horsetails double up on the dexterity and discipline in this super wave of sound and rhythm.
Vol. 1 as an introduction is short in measurement but extended in wonder. It’s an escapist’s power dream, you can ride these nineteen minutes to the farthest point of your imagination in a waking state and feel just as rejuvenated and refocused as you would after twenty minutes of meditation. The Biology of Plants provide fantasy via clean eating, caffeine and creative discipline.
- NJR.