Kranky
Charalambides : Our bed is green (US,1992,re.2004)CD1*°CD2-
Charalambides was formed as a duo in Houston back in 1991, by Tom Carter (who was playing at that time in the heavy psych combo The Mike Gunn) with Christina Carter as an improvising group. In 1992, when they were asked to play live on KRTU they recorded this debut on a 90 minute tape instead. It was first reissued as a limited edition CDR on ‘Wholly Other’ (which is now sold out),and is now properly reissued on doubly CD (by Kranky) and vinyl (by Time Lag).
Charalambides are often mentioned as one of the starters of a US free-folk psyche scene. I heard some CD’s of them as a trio before but never checked anything out thoroughly, but with this album I had the chance to experience where the group’s inspiration came from. Charalambides are one of these groups, like many of the so called drone-and free-folk groups, I prefer not to categorize under the psych-folk reference, because otherwise one would compare groups that never come with their inspirations out of a shadowy atmosphere with all others who are able to do so.
The inspiration is minimal, somewhat monotone and not too worked out, but I can say that the group succeeds on the first CD to be very consistent in what they’re doing. We hear strummed acoustic, amplified, distorted and reverb guitar, double layered (with one guitar for the droning part) or accompanied by organ drones, or with some singing by Christina. It is lo-fi home-recorded on a four track recorder. I can understand some of the success of the group, because they can work as a symbol of a general smoky uninspired city-environment with some freedom of creation within it, still fitting within such a depressing environment: it cradles it to something peaceful, with a freedom of experimentation expressed by vague, stoned and calm jams. I recognise a more inventive idea with bluesguitar on “Black Pope”, with also one additional droning note element. “Bid you goodnite” is a cover of ISB but it is sung like Syd Barrett, with a lazy voice, and Christina’s voice on top. Another song has a Chinese or so melody with background tape mix sounds and an outro of a mechanical music instruments recording.
As if this wasn’t enough, (I’m already tired out by the first cd) there’s a second CD (which is the second side of the tape). Christina’s voice can be heard more often, for most songs as a depressed background whispering, and there are more songs, often with distorted guitars, all even less inspired than the first side, and very amateurish. The second track was just terrible noise. Most of it is just 2-chord guitar strumming with murmuring. Nothing of a “sweet delicacy” or “very personal” or “mystic” a reviewer could make of this. I had to put it off more than once, and have no idea why this would be acceptable enough for a release other than "the band is known enough now and we want to hear more of them". Musically most of this second CD is really kind of "wrong". I wonder how many critics would say enough of this kind of inspirationless rambling and draw the line somewhere, like here. Only the last couple of tracks makes some sense.
PS. Afterwards I heard a track of the trio on a sampler called "Joy Shapes". Here the group creates a smokey calm atmosphere with this mood-song accompanied by strummed amplified guitars.
