I was unfamiliar with Allen Ravenstine when this series of four discs showed up in my mailbox, but he was a member of Pere Ubu and is also a commercial pilot. This is part 4 in the series of EPs that make up the “Tyranny of Fiction” series. If you are wondering where the experimental music in these discs was hiding, here you go.

We kick it off with “Doff Downie Woot,” which has poetry spoken word with whimsical percussion, marimba, and strings. This is where it gets weird feels almost like he’s channeling The Residents. “Open Season” has a “Jaws” bassline with whale song synth and intermittent cymbal and drum smashes that are rather jarring. “The Rain on Mars” is flute and saxophone with slow bass thudding. “Music Box” sounds like a toy piano which adds to that whimsical feel that we had earlier on. But with “Brothers Grimm,” that whimsical feeling becomes a bit more sinister with organ blasts, plucked strings, and slow percussion. “Rear Window” has heavy bass line and incidental sounds like wood block triangle and ratchet that has a sparseness to it. “Time & Tide” is a piano number that could be an outtake on his other EP “Shore Leave.” “Rue Du Poisson Noir” is a sax and siren track with barking dogs and field recording mixed in with the synth work. There are snippets of voice and other field recordings that give it a cinematic feel. “Interlude” is just that: a short interlude track. “Wireless” has snippets of voice, phone, and CB noises that give way to a wah-ed out guitar and sax that would be quite at home on a ‘70’s porn soundtrack. Finally, we have “Bossa Nova,” which features a sparse beat and analog synth.

Overall, this was quite interesting and definitely what you’re looking for if you’re here at Chain D.L.K. This is where we get the experimental side of Ravenstine. He brings in a lot of other people to help him with aerophone, modular synthesizers, grand piano, saxophone, trumpet, flute, and a whole lot more. In short, this is a good time and an interesting listen.