Preserving Senses presents yet another side to German Army, aka GeAr, the enigmatic San Bernardino (yes, that San Bernardino) duo, sometimes trio, that appears ready to dissolve the entire tape scene with its genre-hopping tactics. How have these guys not released on Posh Isolation yet? (It’ll happen.) Anyway, I was excited to see two of my favorite entities get together (as you SHouLD know from my Read The Label column I’m a big Opal Tapes supporter) for a departure on both sides. Opal is more of a left-field electronics powerhouse, while GeAr delve in post-coldwave, world-music tinged mash that really at this point has become its own island of influence whether detractors want to see it now or later. Preserving Senses is definitely German Army at their most cosmic and rewarding, each track offering a new, distinct identity that effortlessly bleeds into those that follow and precede it. More of those distinct samples clutter the walkway, a jack-o-lantern surprise if you were expecting a mellow mind-melt, but not at all uncalled for in these quarters, as I likes ‘em sloppy like the raunchiest lunch lady on the planet. And it’s not all slop, either. When Side B kicks in its spiky beats you’ll be ready to ice down anyone you see with a cold stare and quick elbow-jerk. There’s that sense of menace stalking it all too, like a dirty relative. I don’t know how GeAr turn the knob on creepy so high, it’s just always been a part of what they do, plumbing the depths of a twisted P.-K. Dick tale so sick most of you haven’t read it because it doesn’t exist (and neither do we). But just dream a little and these dudes will take you there every time. Oh, Preserving Senses is, of course, sold out, so you can’t have it. But you can go digi, lil’ Bobby, so don’t worry about it.
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