Scorces is the strange child of two Charalambides members, Christina Carter and Heather Murray (formerly of Ash Castles on the Ghost Coast). Their label’s namesake is synonymous with their sound —beautiful, haunting and wholly other.
Scorces opened up the Thurston show at Doug Fir Lounge on 10.25.07. They also opened up my mind, utterly possessing it for the duration of their set. The concept of sirens kept returning, until my search for definition folded under the lull of their call and the weight of their performance.
Comparisons can be drawn to an associative vocal array ranging from the space whisper of Gilli Smyth to the thick and layered barrage of Diamanda Galas, but the closest reference I have to the resultant affect of Scorces is related to a new years party I attended many years ago in Coral Gables, Florida. That night, the drumming and chanting of three Afro-Cuban Santeros gradually culled me toward an extremely deep state of trance. Sans chemicals and completely without expectation or explanation. One minute I was following the building and wandering syncopations, the next — face to face with one of the drummers who was no longer drumming but instead, standing mere feet away from me. Nodding in knowing recognition as I slowly regained focus.
By replacing the drumming with the duo’s densely effected slide and pedal guitars and the chanting with echoed coos to wailing glossolalia, Scorces performance resounds as strikingly similar. It left me affected, haunted and yearning for more.
In the ensuing search, I found a live performance of theirs from Brian Turner’s show on the almighty WFMU circa 2003 with Double Leopard’s Marcia Basset. A gently psychedelic inversion of their more overdriven show last month but just as alluring and now, ripped and shared for offline listening until more winds its way from across the distant waves.
Scorces via: Brian Turner / WFMU (.ra)
One ( 25mb, mp3.zip, MF)
Two ( 22.1mb, mp3.zip, MF)
Related: Heather Leigh / s|b_tube: 01, 02 / Charalambides
Reviewed: Stylus / Tiny Mix Tapes
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