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Listen to Greatest Encounters with Them Against Them

The first time I experienced Them Against Them was years ago in Richmond, Virginia's "Egg" artspace down by the river overlooking the downtown skyline. They projected footage of rhinoceroses from behind a white sheet and threw down some wicked improv. Musically, they projected relaxed dabblings with things of wonder, which fit perfectly with the art, the quiet milling about, and the mustachioed man on a tribal rug brewing tea in a haze of incense smoke. I was amazed not only by their casual and nonchalant mannerisms but also by their ability to hypnotize.

Over the years I have learned that these guys belong in a league of their own which I will call "the humble heavies." Each artist has played in scores of well known and unsung projects mostly based out of Richmond. Paul Watson tells you matter-of-factly that he toured the UK with Radiohead, as part of Sparklehorse. Phil Murphy astounds you with his finger-picking which seems too fast to be possible. Occasional drum collaborator Brian Jones is known and revered by many as a "straight drum beast". He is the mastermind behind the Slang Sanctuary record label and the focal point of many of it's groups and releases.

All of their performances are pure improvisations and feature many foreign and unconventional instruments. Cornet, bass, guitar, 'ud, trapset, various hand-drums, lapsteel, tapeloops, delay pedals, samplers, fieldrecordings and "found items" are potential elements of any given Them Against Them project or show.

Monkeyclaus is proud to present our "Greatest Encounters with Them Against Them." This audio collection is culled from three special recordings Monkeyclaus created with the band. Each recording, captured with different tools in different moods and situations, reflects the diversity of Them Against Them as well as the diversity of Monkeyclaus recordings. Abel Okugawa recorded the first tracks in a studio session in our full fidelity recording studio with Brian Jones on percussion. We recorded the next piece during the Monkeyclaus Grand Opening festivities in the same live-room. A jovial audience packed the room, Dave Medina joined in on percussion and our prized Soundfield quadraphonic mic, which hung from the ceiling of the studio, recorded the sounds. The final set of tracks is from a show at the Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar, as Them Against Them rolled into town to share a night with Grand Banks. Dave Medina once again sat in on drums. Peter Agelasto recorded onto our Sound Devices fieldrecorder/flashdrive through a Beyer Dynamic ribbon microphone. Listen for the subtleties if you wish, otherwise just relax and ENJOY!!!

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Listen to Greatest Encounters with Them Against Them

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