18 tracks from 3 Radio I-Ching CDs:
Last Kind Words (2006)
The Fire Keeps Burning (2008)
No Wave Au Go Go (2009)
Time Out New York
Radio I-Ching teams drummer Dee Pop (of Bush Tetras) with saxist Andy Haas and banjoist Don Fiorino. The trio's new self-released CD, Last Kind Words, reminds you why downtown music was a cool idea in the first place, as the players inhabit an anachronistic world where country-blues and old spirituals mingle freely with supple free-form jazz-and thankfully, there's nary a hint of postmodern rib-nudging.
From Cadence Magazine: Radio I-Ching is the far reaching trio of deluxe drummer Dee Pop, saxophonist Andy Haas, who also uses oddball instruments such as the fife and the raita and the guitarist Don Fiorino, who also strums other things such as banjo and lap steel. Their 4/14 hit at Tritone (Philadelphia) proved to be a zany collection of songs and sounds, moving from a Bad Brains tune to a stunner called 'Selecter' which bled electronically altered sax with wavy lap steel for a drug laced dynamo. The finale found Haas simultaneously blowing soprano and piri (Korean Oboe) to Pop's quasi military butt kicking beat. These guys are doing some pretty impressive things and deserved to be checked out. - Ken Weiss
Radio I Ching The Fire Keeps Burning
By David Dacks (Exclaim!)
Published Mar 17, 2008
The trio of Radio I Ching are pretty much a cover band, but they utterly transform their source material. This disc features versions of work by Jimmie Driftwood, Roland Kirk, Rasta drummer Count Ossie and film composer Alfred Newman, among others. High concept cover albums are frequently a recipe for disaster but all three members here are on some different shit. In lesser hands, live electronic processing of an acoustic instrument can sound like the audio equivalent of a Windows Media Visualiser: pretty, captivating even, but not musically vital. Andy Haas uses simple effects, starting with dub processing, but is capable of hacking up a signal quite brutally. His sax playing is actually kind of sweet, getting into a messed up but faithful Dixieland groove on "Two Horn Bingo. Fiorino's work on guitar, lap steel and banjo is rootsy in all languages, such as on their cover of Egyptian master drummer Hamza El Din's "Gala 2000". Pop, drummer for no wave band the Bush Tetras, sounds more integrated and aggressive on this album than on the band's debut. On the whole, "loungadelic Beefheart" isn't a bad place to start as a point of reference. This is some alchemical ensemble work, both musically and sonically. (Resonantmusic)
Radio I Ching No Wave Au Go Go
By David Dacks (Exclaim!)
Published Apr 13, 2009
Radio I Ching's new disc features a more conventional sound than ever before. The trio of Andy Haas, Don Fiorino and Dee Pop swing nicely but this is relatively low on the freak-out scale of past outings. Part of the reason is Haas's loyalty to the saxophone on this disc, augmented only sparingly by his splatter-prone electronics. What remains are the twisted takes on Americana and the group's assured originals. The band have never sounded more unified than on this disc, both in their rapport and in the mix, which is a little washed out with reverb, at times. Moments of fractiousness remain: a suitably creepy version of Thelonious Monk's "Misterioso" bubbles and boils with Fiorino's guitar effects plumbing lower frequencies, and a tribute also skips along with piercing energy. Pop is always tasteful on the kit; his grooves never sound like he's trying to imitate anyone else. Personally, I prefer these guys a bit wilder and with fewer rock touches but on the other hand, this could be an easy stepping stone into Haas's work for the uninitiated. (Resonantmusic)
credits
released May 1, 2006
Radio I-Ching is:
Andy Haas - Sax, Fife, Piri, Morsing, Live Electronics
Don Fiorino - Guitar, Lap Steel, Banjo, Lotar, Glissentar, Mandolin
Dee Pop - Drums and Percussion
license
Some rights reserved. Please refer to individual track pages for license info.
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