Altas

Louder than words
Altas speaks volumes about instrumental rock's potential.

Pop musicians like to make things easy on their audiences, relying on time-tested formulas like verse-chorus song structures, predictable chord changes, and sing-along hooks. But out there on the margins, things can get a little more interesting, as musicians experiment with the "through-composed" approach of "serious" classical music, or abandon composition entirely, venturing into the ambient. ALTAS integrates both approaches into their lyricless soundscapes, which at times, echoes the shifting dynamics of Japanese "post-rock" band Mono, or the spacey sonic excursions of early Pink Floyd. Think Steve Reich meets Mogwai. Or don't think at all and just listen.