Monday, August 22, 2005
we still exist
Circle: "Lokki"
Sorry.
Although I liked the comic books, and Kirby’s Asgard is still an amazing sight, I’ve never liked the way Marvel designed their Norse gods. The blonde, beardless Thor is bland, some anonymous Harlequin romance cover model. His hair should be the color of fire and blood, with a big burly beard obscuring half his face. Loki should look like some ancient Viking hipster, not some gold and green fashion-plate. And those long, slender horns are way too effete. Listen to Circle’s “Lokki”, from their awesome 2002 live album, Raunio. Does this sound like a dude who’d have girly little handle-bars sticking two feet out of his head?
Now, “Lokki” is one right-on depiction. At first it’s only kind of tricky, slightly confounding and dizzying with that kraut-rock groove. Gradually it grows more and more sinister, until its true evil is revealed. And then it gets tied to a rock with the entrails of its son. But the song is one amazing jam, bridging the miniscule gap between early Hawkwind and kraut-rock, dropping some excellent sustained guitar wizardry on top of a patented Can beat. I can’t recommend Raunio highly enough. Circle’s playing at the Drunken Unicorn in Atlanta on September 10, with Providence’s Urdog opening.
Circle: "Lokki"
Sorry.
Although I liked the comic books, and Kirby’s Asgard is still an amazing sight, I’ve never liked the way Marvel designed their Norse gods. The blonde, beardless Thor is bland, some anonymous Harlequin romance cover model. His hair should be the color of fire and blood, with a big burly beard obscuring half his face. Loki should look like some ancient Viking hipster, not some gold and green fashion-plate. And those long, slender horns are way too effete. Listen to Circle’s “Lokki”, from their awesome 2002 live album, Raunio. Does this sound like a dude who’d have girly little handle-bars sticking two feet out of his head?
Now, “Lokki” is one right-on depiction. At first it’s only kind of tricky, slightly confounding and dizzying with that kraut-rock groove. Gradually it grows more and more sinister, until its true evil is revealed. And then it gets tied to a rock with the entrails of its son. But the song is one amazing jam, bridging the miniscule gap between early Hawkwind and kraut-rock, dropping some excellent sustained guitar wizardry on top of a patented Can beat. I can’t recommend Raunio highly enough. Circle’s playing at the Drunken Unicorn in Atlanta on September 10, with Providence’s Urdog opening.
