Tuner's second CD "Pole" (after their debut "Totem") is a fascinating and mysterious voyage through a complex mesh of sounds, both abrasive and silky, and as with all things original, the key lays in the friction and the blend of all elements, the synaesthesia of the experience and the sophistication (or, at times, simplicity) of the approach.
Tuner is a transatlantic collaboration involving Austin, TX-based Pat Mastellotto (King Crimson) and European (Germany/Austria) Markus Reuter (Centrozoon), and both of them make absolutely sure to bring their special and personal touch to the table. While Mastellotto plays drums and percussions and does some very interesting spoken word poetry, Reuter plays touch guitar, acoustic/electric guitar, bass, keys and vocals. The album also features a lot of guests (mostly singers, but also players of vibraphone, theremin, wind organ, violins etc) among whom the one with the most assignments was Austrian singer and label-mate SiRenee, who lent her beautiful, soft and fragile voice to half of Tuner's tunes.
Tuner is a band that makes originality their new language and challenges everyone who attempts to pigeonhole them with genre-delimiting definitions to come up with new words to describe a genre-bending and style-defying new sonic palette that goes beyond conceptualized barriers of pre-packaged music knowledge. I am going to gracefully decline that challenge and instead attempt to help you understand what Tuner is all about with names you might recognize (such as for example Tool, who are probably one of the most fitting and strongest influences here; not so much for their fierce sound but for their innovative, dark and arcane approach). For those who have not yet been initiated to the Tuner sound, try very hard to imagine a band that is NOT a metal band but that sounds like a mixture of Tool, My Dying Bride, Peter Gabriel, Hector Zazou, Porcupine Tree, Nine Inch Nals, Brian Eno, Me'shell Ndegeocello, David Sylvian... I know it's hard, but try, and if you fail, you can redeem yourself on their website or their myspace.com/tunertunes page, where you can also buy "Pole" (which by the way comes packaged in a beautiful out of the ordinary jewel case).