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Tour Dates 08/15/10 Acadia Cafe Minneapolis, MN
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I wonder if Air Conditioning School/UltraChorus’s Chris Heidman is a perfectionist. Not braids-rug-fringe-while-chronologically-categorizing-his- TV-Guides perfectionist, more: methodical with serious, serious objectives and safe ways of having fun perfectionist. I only speculate because both his musical projects share a studied air, as though the artist was conscious of every little “ooh” and “ah” (in a world where happy accidents are still accidents).
Maybe I’m entirely wrong, but General Mountain Time, ACS’s full-length debut, doesn’t sound like Heidman’s very concerned with messy improvisation. Contextually speaking, his background in production may play a significant role in his current interests. The nature of electronic music allows ample room for precision and members of the genre make full use of their liberties. Were it not for the public’s need for fleshy, oxygen-breathing presence, it’s easy to imagine little electro-pop robots mixing flawless beats under the monikers “Ladytron” and “Goldfrapp.”
It’s hardly a shock, then, that Heidman employs familiar techniques with Air Conditioning School. Had he pulled on a pair of groovy pants and composed a set of Lovin’ Spoonful-inspired dance hits, I might question his motives (and mental health). But GMT is an album that could expand the one-block radius of Midwest electronica appreciation by offering an accessible bridge, at the same time maintaining appeal with existing fans (a thornier feat, as loyal fans are often the harshest critics of change).
I previously wrote about “Busymore” and “Wake Me Up,” using such adjectives as “soothing” and “mellow.” I stand by this assessment, but wish to amend it slightly to include new vocabulary: “sexy” and “nearly dance-y.” The latter describes songs like “Days and Days,” a bouncy Frankenstein-of-a-number that engineers melodies to walk and talk like real dancing boys! Other noteworthy tracks include the smooth as butta’ (albeit grammatically frustrating) “Up On,” and the ambiguously 1970s-lite “Calm Will Come Around” (does it not sound like the background theme for a Mary Tyler Moore montage?).
For the most part, General Mountain Time is a comfortable fit for Heidman as he explores the pop terrain. His voice is suited for calm narration and he certainly possesses the technical prowess to complement such straightforward vocals. However, it would be interesting to see what a bit of imbalance might generate—a slip of the fingers, the squeal of feedback, a misguided bass line perhaps—some sign of chaos envy, or, at the very least, proof that Heidman’s hands aren’t made of RAM.
General Mountain Time is available now on iTunes or directly from the band at blog.so-tm.com. Air Conditioning School is playing Acadia Café in Minneapolis on August 15th. Confirm Heidman’s human hands and have a beer. Nice Purse, the latest signee to So TM Records, also plays (stay tuned to WHM for more on Nice Purse). [ACS: Myspace]
08/10/2010 23:10:09 ♥ lara (
) ♥ myspace.com/airconditioningschool
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