The Gak Omek - Alien Eye

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The Gak Omek - Alien Eye

Artist:	The Gak Omek
Title:	Alien Eye
Label:	Bluecube Music
Length(s):	61 minutes
Year(s) of release:	2003
Month of review:	[10/2003]

Line up

Robert Burger - guitar, guitar synth
Dave Cashin - keys on 7
Tiny Shanks - trumpet
Leroy Elroy - sax, clarinet
Johnny Flambe' - bass
Dick Digital - robodrums
Zbodner Mnoptopic - simulations

Tracks

1)	Black Holes Colliding	10.33
2)	Here Comes The Aluminum Man	9.02
3)	Tourniquette Of Roses	9.24
4)	Moonburn 3am	8.37
5)	Baby Gotta Visegrip	6.54
6)	Dancing Bologna	6.15
7)	Robotomy	4.34
8)	The Squiggly Parameter	5.24

Summary

The Gak Omek, aside from good at coming up with odd names, is an American one person sevenpiece (if you get my drift) creating instrumental music.

The music

The personnel on this disc would suggest this album is in the avant prog vein. On closer inspection, both auditive and visual, one has to come to the conclusion that The Gak Omek is pretty much Burger's brainchild, brought to life with the assistance of a score of others. That, for one thing, explains why this album is so guitar driven, and really sounds like an album by a guitar meister. It also explains why the focus, ad nauseum, lays on the guitar melody, which in general isn't interesting enough to last the length of the track, let alone the length of an album. In general the tracks simply focus round a fuzz guitar melody which is rather meanderful with your basic accompaniement directed at not more than keeping time. There are some extras involved: the opener tries to entice us with a bit of experiment and Baby Gotta Visegrip is dominated by a persistent irritating drum beat and ditto "oh yeah" sample (no, not the one from Yello, featured in numerous eighties movies). And Dancing Bologna has some happy-go-bounce stuff wedged inbetween.

Conclusion

Where the song titles and band name suggest a certain originality, most of the material on this disc radiates the exact opposite in its seemingly endless guitaristic normalcy. The endlessly repeating fuzz guitar sound wears rather soon, and since there is nothing much to hide behind, so does the album. Well, except for the leaf blower roaring outside. Never thought I'd be welcoming that sound. After the opening, which at least features some experiment, my interest level quickly dropped, my disposition moving towards the irritation area, hitting that long before the album was over, penetrating deeply. Leave this one alone. I know I will.