Rei Rea- "Selected Works I: Still Suns" CS (Union Finale)

In mid-December I was contacted by Rei Rea, inquiring about the possibility of a review. While I always give a look and listen to emails I receive, I was particularly captivated by the unique fusion of sounds and visuals. You see, Rei Rea serves as the musical output of visual artist Christian Dubé. With knowledge of his works as a painter and general madman, it's impossible to listen to "Selected Works I: Still Suns" without imagining the music as some kind of visual music. While I often experience music in colors and patterns, it's rare that I imagine the creator using some sort of sonic brush strokes, but this album makes perfect sense in that context.

Drone and noise are terms that come to mind, but Rei Rea's work rarely commits itself to an easily categorized set of sounds. Instead, the elements of each song leave trails through multiple sets of sounds, frequently unsettling and troubling, but rarely horrific, allowing an experience that is unique while still relatively familiar. I find this album is one that either warrants headphones or a great sound system, as immersing oneself in the anxiety-inducing atmospheres here yields far greater results than simply dipping one's toes in it. Tracks like "Throne of Papa" introduce just enough beauty to keep the listener optimistic, if not even instilling a sense of euphoria. This elation is mostly to balance out the dread, which comes in waves between the moments of respite. Still, this is not the relentless horror of so many artists working with noise. This is more of the monotony of working for life only to die poor. This is a sonic painting in broad strokes of grey, brown, rust red, and black. Pain and suffering are present, but are accompanied by the small joys and moments of personal satisfaction. Perhaps Rei Rea is exactly this outlet for Dubé, the place away from the chaos.

The artist recommended pairing this album with an IPA, but I've been quite under the weather lately and have not been able to drink much of anything other than tea. That said, I'll recommend the exact beer he shared with me in an email conversation. It's not locally available for me, but he says it's quite potent. Rei Rea recommends drinking Le Castor Brewing Company's Yakima IPA. It's a Montreal-based brewery, so those of us in the United States might struggle to find it, but I hope my friends up north can enjoy a bottle while listening to this album. Cassette copies are available from Union Finale, and each tape comes with a large poster of the album art, making it a total steal. Stream the album here if my words aren't enough to convince you.

Quick Fix: Dogfish Head's 120 Minute IPA

My friend Brad and I were fortunate enough to grab a goblet of Dogfish Head's 120 Minute IPA on draft from one of my preferred local watering holes last week. If you're a bit of a beer geek like myself, you'll know that this is one of those beers that appears infrequently and sells out quickly. I'm not often an IPA drinker, as the hops tend to dominate other flavors, but this beer proves the great potential an IPA can hold. This dark amber beauty has a light aroma of citrus and a slightly foamy head. Upon sipping, the sweet flavors of honeysuckle and orange blossom contrast the tangy bite of hoppy bitterness. While the bite can be a bit intimidating, this beer is worth trying at least once, preferably with a friend. Drinking it alone can be a bit daunting with its 17% ABV, so this tasty drink makes a good excuse to invite a friend out for a beer. Cheers!

Beer Review: Green Flash/Founders Linchpin White IPA

This blog often features collaborative efforts from some of the extreme metal underground's most daring musicians, yet has primarily reviewed beers that are made by only one brewery. Today I'm changing that. This white IPA (the first I've ever had) is the result of two breweries I've never explored combining their efforts to make a bold and delicious beer. Green Flash are a young brewery from San Diego whom I've heard much about but haven't yet sampled. Founders are a brewery I'd never heard of before buying this beer, and it sadly appears that I'm not able to purchase any of their beers in the state of Florida. Drat.

On to the beer itself, we've got a beautiful golden pour with an incredibly strong, foamy head that never fully fades away. The scent is heavy with fragrant pine and the sweetness of citrus, but the taste is primarily the piney tastes of hops that is the trademark of IPAs. This beer drinks more smoothly than the standard IPA, which is often hoppy and bitter to the point where many new drinkers are put off. This would be a great introduction to the high potential of the IPA format. This is smooth and tangy without being hoppy enough to warrant a grimace. As I get deeper into the beer, I'm finding a strong orange flavor is coming out and it's perfect. As with many beers, half the depth of the flavor is hitting me as I exhale after each sip, which really provides interesting surprises with this solid beer. Much like the diverse pairing of breweries, the beer seems to open up with slightly different flavors with each sip. It's a really beautiful beer and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to give it a shot.

It was recently suggested by an acquaintance that I begin suggesting music and beer pairings for each review. While I'll primarily do this for albums rather than beers, I'm going to begin this tradition by pairing this beer with the equally complex split from Sadness Saturn and Golden Raven, with its harsh and beautiful moments complementing a beer both bitter and smooth.