A Global Taxonomical Machine is fascinating. It is unique. It is intelligently, carefully crafted.

However, that doesn’t mean you’re going to enjoy listening to it.

Art with a capital A, this collection of electronic sound collages and vast silences would have been confrontational a decade ago by virtue of its almost total lack of recognizable musical elements. In 2005, most listeners who don’t buy their music at Wal-Mart are at least passingly aware of minimalism and sparse electronica, so Taxonomy aren’t exactly offering a wholly revolutionary concept. It turns out you can get a pretty cool experience without melody or harmony. We already knew that.

Still, if you’re willing to invest the effort it requires and deserves, A Global Taxonomical Machine can be quite absorbing — full of static, fuzz, subliminal clicks and sharp, modem-like sounds. On the rare occasion that something resembling a melody comes into focus, you’ll latch onto it like a long-lost sailor to land.

Still, a few elements, like the five minutes of complete silence that comes midway through the record, are a little too artsy for their own good. Stuff like that is the main reason you can’t expect A Global Taxonomical Machine to provide a conventional reward; what you get out of it will be determined entirely by what you put in.

An electronic screech wakes up the listener to kick off these 30-odd minutes of delightful sound subversion by the trio of Michel F Côté, Alexandre St-Onge and Bernard Falaise, who are not at all your standard guitar/bass/drum outfit. The nine tracks are short set pieces in which the scraping, scratching and rubbing of the acoustic instruments is manipulated electronically to produce ear-tickling soundscapes with cryptic titles like wawawo, dwong and bo doum. Your guess is at least as good as mine. But who cares if it means anything at all, as long as it’s this much fun?

[…] One of the best concerts of the festival, if not the best, was Klaxon Gueule’s which took place as part of the &records night. The trio, composed of Michel F Côté (percussive objects and microphones), Bernard Falaise (electric guitar) and Alexandre St-Onge (treated electric bass and voice), has an astonishing ability to always redefine, question and push the boundaries of its approach while remaining faithful to its musical identity as a group. […]

A guitarist, a pianist and a sound engineer come together to record leaves and snows, creating a certain seasonal quality. Antoine Berthiaume from Canada, the French musician Quentin SirJacq and Norman Teale hailing from the US have together built on minimal instrumental improvisation. The music sometimes reminds one of a film score, especially when piano is added. Tiny elements, like plucking, occasional percussion and concrete sounds. The music is rather slow; a dreamy atmosphere occurs. Fourteen tracks that bring a pleasant listening experience.

An Italian trio is behind the bandname Taxonomy. Graziano Lella, Elio Martusciello and Roberto Fega together explore the possibilities between improvisation and noise. Martusciello and Fega are also part of the improvisation group Ossatura, so some of you will have an idea what to expect. Taxonomy presents nine tracks in which calm moments are followed by sudden outbursts, harsh noise is combined with real instruments. The music is full of details and action. A dynamic electro accoustic output.