Score one for the witty band name and reference to the cult movie of similar name, and score another for the ridiculously long album title. Black Blood of the Earth Parts 1 & 2 + Fur & Teeth actually is a collection of several releases by this collaboration between Brent Eyestone (Aughra, Forensics, Waifle, etc) and Mike Haley (Proprietor of the label Electric Human Project). On a personal note, considering my unhealthy affection for Aughra and the non "rock" efforts from Forensics (not that I dislike the "rock" songs), Big China & Little Trouble sits here with quite a bit of intrigue on my part.
As "You Really Believe in Magic?" pours from the speakers (the volume on my stereo is cranked), swirling drones dominate an aural landscape while electronic sounds and occasional bell tones further flesh out the track; when the acoustic guitar comes in, the song takes on quite a different tone and mood while at times the guitar clashes with the sounds, at other times it sounds quite soothing. The buzzing insect sounds mixing with the warning buzzers give "Gumshan" a truly disconcerting mood and feel about it and the panning effects only add to the tension and disorienting elements of the piece. The soothing drones of "Because it's Real" may make it easy to relegate this track to the background but it is in this that Big China & Little Trouble come closest to the most strict definition of ambient "music." Now, the creepy sounds that the duo produces in "The Check is in the Mail" and "Burning Blade" are much more what I thought would be available on Black Blood of the Earth Parts 1 & 2 + Fur & Teeth, not that I had expectations, but it just feels right when listening to these two tracks.
Admittedly, the style of music that Big China & Little Trouble comes as an acquired taste for some, but Black Blood of the Earth Parts 1 & 2 + Fur & Teeth contains some intriguing moments that could give the group some notoriety (within the genre or scene or whatever). From the perspective of an active listener of similar minded artists, Eyestone and Haley produce quite a vista of sound on this collection, and the possibility of hearing more work from the two of them is encouraging as this record shows much promise. The variations of sounds also leaves open several routes and possibilities for Big China & Little Trouble to explore more, and I look forward to it.
