Sur la mer, Prelude to the Sea

So, what happens when members of Tortoise, June of ’44, and The Boredoms get together and form a band? Probably not what you’d expect. Atsu Nagayama of Boredoms fame is the mastermind behind Sur la mer, composing the tracks on the EP and recruiting members of the aforementioned bands to help in recording the material. The end result is four songs’ worth of minimalistic, instrumental neo-classical music with heavy doses of viola and trumpet. Um. What?

Prelude to the Sea is definitely interesting and innovative work, but at just under 15 minutes, there’s not enough music to really sink your teeth into. Supposedly, a full-length album has been recorded and is awaiting release, but seeing as it took five years to get this EP out, I’m not holding my breath. In the end, Prelude to the Sea comes off as a bit of a tease; there’s some good stuff, but you don’t get enough to truly feel satisfied.