Description

Thisquietarmy X Away : Machine Consciousness, Phase III

This unexpected 3rd installment of the duo’s output is still made up from material recorded during the same 2019 session as ‘Phase I and Phase II’ , which needed a little more work than its almost-straight-out-of- the-box double album predecessor. With additional bass and brass tracks provided by Charles Bussières and Reüel Ordoñez, members of TQA’s live full-band (along with sound engineer, drummer and synth player Marc-Olivier Germain) for the ‘The Body and the Earth’ 2018 EU tour, Quach could finally piece the remnants of the tracks together as a bold and unexpected collection of psychedelic fusion and freakout music, with elements of kosmische Musik, prog and experimental free jazz mixed into the duo’s enthralling brand of space-rock improvisation.

For that reason, this new output conjured an identity of its own as ‘Machine Consciousness, Phase III’, both as the follow-up to thisquietarmy X Away’s ‘The Singularity, Phase I & II‘ but also to the last TQA full-band opus ‘The Body and the Earth‘.

Eric Quach (Guitar, Synth, Fx) / Michel Langevin (Drums)
Recorded at Méduse Audio by Marc-Olivier Germain, February 2019
Overdubbed & mixed at TQA.HQ by Eric Quach throughout 2019×20
Mastered by Méduse Audio by Marc-Olivier Germain
Artwork + photography by eric quach + michel langevin

THE SINGULARITY, PHASE II reviews :

“The first “Delta” track is nearly 16 minutes long, a behemoth in its own right. We do, however, agree with the recommendation to play the album as a whole, and to play it loud. This way the full scope of the wreckage can be observed. Reversing the trajectory of the prior piece, the tempo slows, not quite to sludge, but close, before making a slight recovery, moving portentously through Quach’s orchestral chords. The tempo is restored in “Delta 0000 1001,” the level of excitement raised one last time. Eight minutes now seems like nothing. The difference is the danceability, implying the end of films in which kaiju put aside their differences (i.e. Godzilla, Mothra and Rodan) to fight a common enemy, then celebrate with stomps, flaps and roars. The final flurry of drums suggests the victory of new alliances. It’s unclear where humans stand in all this (if not all buried under rubble), but that’s not important right now. Kaiju forever! Bring on Phase III!” – A Closer Listen (Richard Allen)

“While this record is pretty basic in execution, it’s the larger overall vision that makes it transcendent. The layers of sound interlock in fresh and delightful ways. The quiet poetry of these songs makes them infinitely addictive. These instrumental synth and drum wanderings are not necessarily multi layered prog bangers, but rather triumphant and introspective odes that leave listeners looking deeper, curious to see where we go next. Unpacking these layers and really letting yourself revel in the vision is what makes it all so appealing.” – Two Guys Metal Reviews (Matt Bacon)