by Jason

Landing, the layer-masters, are back with a tour EP that spans three tracks on cassette. After two incredible full-length releases in 2016 (Third Sight and Complekt), the band has returned with this tantalizer of a cassette that is all too brief but ultimately very welcome. Beginning in 1999, Landing began releasing glorious, drony drenched music into the world. Their dreamy, layered experimentalism has moved from pure instrumental drones to borderline dreampop and slowcore. No matter what genre or mode they are working in, the band turns out perfect and magnificent music at every turn. An announcement of a new Landing release always gets my interest and the anticipation of hearing the tracks is always an exciting feeling. Well, enough of my effusive praise. What of these three songs?

Taeppe begins with Side A’s “Page After Page”. The track is the longest on the cassette, clocking in at 8:27. It begins with delayed guitar mixed with shimmering, fuzzy edged drones. The guitars reverberate and set the tone as the layers intermix and swirl around each other. Percussion in the form of a shimmering cymbal eventually enters the mix as the guitars begin to rise in volume and a synth sounding, spacy tone begins to join in. At about 3:55, the full band comes up in the speakers and the drones give way to structure. Adrienne Snow then begins to lend her ghostly vocals to the mix with a slight, breathy reverb tinge. They are deep in the mix, adding to the layers of beautiful tones and textures. I’m always impressed with what this band does. In no release over the years have they disappointed and they certainly don’t begin to do so with “Page After Page”.

Side B of Taeppe begins with “Tape”. Dreamy, warm guitar tones create a base for a melody picked on guitar. Shakers and tambourine are added for textures throughout. Adrienne Snow’s gorgeous vocals breath into the mix giving the entire track an incredibly ethereal feel. Another acoustic guitar joins and layers of drones begin to build. Chimes sparkle in the mix for a moment and then disappear. “Tape” perfectly moves into “Together” without a pause. The layers strip away and the drone blends the two together. This is a perfectly executed dreampop song. Subtle percussion backs simple bass. Guitars shimmer with layers of drones creating a very light wall of sound, giving the piece a beautiful base to work with. Adrienne Snow and Aaron Snow harmonize beautifully in the choral build ups. Those moments are full of subtly driving bass and percussion with the guitars having nice, almost growly fuzzy edges. The track, and the EP, end with a reverberating fade and with the listener wanting so much more.

To be honest, I’m not sure how this band has any merchandise ever in stock. Everything they do should sell out instantly. Taeppe is no different. These are three perfectly crafted songs with all the wonders that Landing always has to offer the listener. I may venture to say that these are some of my favorite tracks from the band yet. See them on tour, buy the cassette, and thank me later.

LANDING TOUR DATES

June 27- Red Cross House, Northampton, MA
June 28- This Ain’t Hollywood, Hamilton, ON
June 29- UFO Factory, Detroit, MI
June 30- State Street, Indianapolis, IN
July 1- Foam, St. Louis, MO
July 2- Kitty Kat Club, Minneapolis, MN
July 3- Vaudeville Mews, Des Moines, IA
July 5- Diabolical Records, SLC, UT
July 8- Cheer Up Charlie’s, Austin, TX
July 9- Gasa Gasa, New Orleans, LA
July 10- 529, Atlanta, GA
July 11- Neptune’s, Raleigh, NC
July 12- TBA, Lynchburg, VA