Down from Portland, Oregon came the two-man Parasites, spreading electronic weirdness throughout the land. Patrick Burke and Terry Censky play just about everything but the kitchen sink; they’re aided by an occasional guitarist and drummer on their two combo albums, but it’s mainly them.
The first LP is full of dense (but not monotonous) semi-electronic rock pieces. Some have words, but most are evocative, cinematic instrumentals that are good and loud — none of that wimpy ambient crap! As a treat, they run through the song that might have inspired them — the Beatles’ “Flying.”
Substrata leans toward more routine rock — vocals, guitar, less weirdness — and tries hard to be mainstream; its amateurish predecessor is much more entertaining.
Burke’s solo record — one of those nobody-helped jobs — differs greatly from the Parasites’ releases. Using more technology, Silence and Timing works to display his songs in a sleek, modern setting.