Abandon Rate by Mike Khoury & Chris Riggs

The Khoury-Riggs duo tape that appeared on Holy Cheever Church sometime last year was a favourite around Bug Incision headquarters, so it was a no-brainer when it came to scooping these recordings and getting them out there. The two are closely aligned with Detroit's fertile scene of creative improvisors, and are often involved with Ben Hall and Hans Buetow, two other Bug Incision-released artists, and their excellent label Brokenresearch. Both players have previously released material on this label (Khoury on Battlefield Medicine and Airwaves, Riggs on Tanto Impresos Como Sistemas and I Feel So Strong. I Feel I Could Punch A Hole In A Fucking Wall.) and have also filled their own and a good many others' release schedules with quality product. The strength of this duo is that they manage to succeed in finding some middle ground between Riggs, who's taken it upon himself to overhaul the guitar quite thoroughly, often rendering it unrecognizable, and Khoury, who has taken the violin at face value and studiously honed a unique sound and approach. There is a wonderfully controlled and varied bank of sounds from which Riggs draws, and Khoury keeps up with deft manipulations in tone, tremolo, bow pressure, etc. Look for a sister release on the House of Alchemy label.

originally released as:
edition of 66, cdr, color covers in plastic sleeves

reviews:
With only two men and two instruments (guitar and violin) you may find this release sparse and minimal, and in some ways it is. Take a closer listen and you’ll hear grinding, scraping and clinking adding to an eerie ambience. While you get lost in the sounds and you may forget you’re listening to common stringed instruments, but you are.
The sounds of Abandon Rate suggest to me a torture chamber. While nothing is outright violent there are painfully drawn out scrapes, metal clinking against metal, the sound of dragging like that caused by rearranging heavy furniture and other unrecognizable sounds. The accompanying playing taunts the ear. At times it sounds like screams and pleads but it never reverts to a melody or a rhythm. Instead, the sounds of strings choose to tease the ear with allusions to a composition.

Above and beyond the tortuous sounds, Khoury and Riggs do an incredible job at not overdoing their playing. It feels like at every moment what is being heard is exactly what needs to be heard. The result of the indescribable sounds and minimal playing is something that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
- Kat Dornian / Feedback Zine Issue #8

The Calgary, Alberta, Canada-based label Bug Incision has been operating since 2005, and has released over 50 albums from artists around the world.

See www.bugincision.com for availability and ordering info for physical copies.

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