Six Organs of Admittance & William Tyler - Parallelogram (2015)

Mutual influence is always fun to see in action, especially when it is between modern long-form guitar composition greats Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance) and William Tyler. This volume of Three Lobed Recording’s Parallelogram series allows both artists room to stretch out and breathe. Multi-movement suites have long been a skillful part of the Six Organs of Admittance lexicon. Chasny’s contribution, “Lsha,” expands upon this artistic legacy as it commandingly pulses and moves through its three propulsive phases. Tyler presents two long-form tracks that further cement his unmatched combination of melody and composition. “No Marigolds In The Promised Land” fits into the mold of Tyler’s imaginary audio travelogues, rolling through hills and dales via the mind’s eye. His side is capped off with “Southern Living,” a gorgeous track that features more feedback than your average WT piece but also stands as a highlight within his greater catalog (from a catalog full of high water marks).

The Parallelogram collection originated in the particular magic that comes from finding the *right* musical pairing. We’ve all experienced the perfect song at the perfect time and know how electrifying it can be. The set and setting that combine to make those jukebox choices, mix tapes, or playlists really work can be so hard to define, but easy to identify once they are out there in the wild. Part of the fun for Three Lobed Recordings has always been trying to divine the alchemy of pairings that work to our ears. These efforts have time and time again taken the form of collections and collaborations, both as multi-volume releases (ranging from the trio of multi-disc series to the Not The Spaces You Know, But Between Them box set) and single albums (such as the collaborative albums from Golden Gunn or the Hagerty-Toth Band to the Eight Trails, One Path compilation). With this thought in mind, Three Lobed proudly presents Parallelogram, a collection of five carefully assembled split albums celebrating complementary musical pairings.