Isis + Aereogramme - In The Fishtank: 14

Genre rock Publisher Konkurrent External Links Official Aereogramme Website Official Isis Website Official Konkurrent Records Website

Here's a fun idea: take two bands, stick them into one studio for a few days, and get them (possibly with the use of whips) to write and record some songs together. Then, publish the results, hoping that they are a pleasant mingling rather than just a bunch of squealing and squawking. Konkurrent's In The Fishtank series has been something of a success, with luminaries such as Low, The Dirty Three, and Sonic Youth taking part.

For the fourteenth disc in the series, the label has brought together American post-rockers Isis and Scottish post-rockers Aeroeogramme to produce a jam which surprisingly sees them going from Eskimo throat singing set to a Bhangra beat. Or perhaps not.

The result is exactly what you'd expect; atmospheric and hard-edged post-rock, mixing long instrumental sections with moody vocals. "Low Tide" has a nice line in Mogwai-esque quiet menace, "Delial" is a short attack of rage, and the closer "Stolen", is a long, ten minute tract of contemplative guitar shimmering, peppering drums and scratchy synths.

It's perhaps a shame that this edition of In The Fishtank didn't pair two bands of different genres, but the record is a perfectly serviceable slice of post-rock, for all those needing more of that sort of thing.