Everything about Zomes, the solo project of Lungfish guitarist Asa Osborne, is simple. Start with his set-up-- a single keyboard and a handful of pre-recorded beats. Then there's the way he plays. The first time I saw him perform, he sat pretty still, playing chords and note patterns that required little motion. He only really moved between songs, leaning over to pop in a new cassette that would provide the next rhythm. When I saw him a few weeks ago, things had become even simpler-- he had traded his tape player for a drum machine which he would tap once at the beginning of each song before turning back to his keyboard.
As simple as Osborne's process is, his music might be even simpler. There's no singing, no rhythmic turns, no complex structures or abrupt changes in tone. Each song relies on patience and repetition to produce its particular effect. Every so often, on both his self-titled 2008 debut and his new album Earth Grid, he'll drift into a cloud of ambience or a beat-less drone. But most of the time, he builds a small, basic melody over a small, basic beat, riding that pair of steady horses off into a hypnotic sunset.
Whether you'll follow basically depends on whether you find a trembling keyboard chord something to get lost in or just a reason to get lost. There aren't a lot of bands that sound like Zomes, but the way the music unfolds and the kind of freezing effect it has on my brain reminds me of American Analog Set's keyboard-centered songs. When that band would settle into a swaying instrumental stretch, their devotion to repetition was addictive. The best songs on Earth Grid have that quality, burrowing notes far enough into your psyche that you start to crave them.
Burrow is the right verb for this record, as Osborne never deviates from his chosen sonic path. The album that preceded it had a wider range of tone and tempos, sounding practically diverse in comparison. But that's not really a mark against Earth Grid. Besides, asking for variety from a project that's so clearly about one idea is a little absurd. What matters is that the guns Osborne sticks to are powerful enough to reward the dedication. When he hits his targets, the idea of faulting him for not doing something different is about the furthest thing from my mind.
