FCS North >> Ride the darker wave

FCS North - "1222"
(Pacifico Recordings, 2000)

This track is probably the most epic achievement since Homer write The Iliad in one weekend on the backs of some napkins at his local Olive Garden restaurant, which was literally just some tables in the middle of an olive grove at the time.  FCS North (pron. "Focus North," often abrv. FCSN) was a jazzy / post-rock-y / electronic-y group from Seattle, featuring some former members of the impressive post-punk band Satisfact.  I say "was" because I think nowadays they stick to doing DJ sets, remixing, and general electronic(a) stuff, rather than the complex organic recipe on their debut album.  Andy Sells of FCSN is my favorite or second-favorite drummer ever (probably only second to Jack DeJohnette), and he has literally been a drum teacher for many years as his day job.  The way the bass (played by Josh Warren) stealthily enters the song reminds me of the way the T. Rex walks up to the campsite(?) in Jurassic Park, with the viewer only able to see a glass of water trembling with each of its footsteps.  Who says great cinematography can't be found in the most unlikely places?  I didn't even know what cinematography was when I saw that in a tiny theater on Hilton Head Island when it came out, but I'll always remember that scene.
"1222" is preceded on the album by an untitled recording of 3 whole minutes of waves crashing... Top that, "chillwave" bands.  This tidal action fits in perfectly with the CD cover, which is just a photo of the ocean, devoid of any writing, though the cover of the LP version apparently does have some writing.  I've always thought of the album as having a "sky blue" feel to it; to top it off, the band's record label was called Pacifico.  I remember listening to this CD on a sweltering September night in 2003 while driving over to see The Sea And Cake, who also have one of the most insanely great drummers ever.  Before heading out that night, I watched the premiere episode of a show called One Tree Hill, haha.  Man, talk about a cutting edge evening of entertainment... I also used a car phone for possibly the only time in my life, one with a cord attaching it to a '95 Chevy Suburban which I inherited a few years later after my car was lost in Katrina.  Anyway, the way the keyboards swell up and envelop the listener in the beginning of this track will never cease to fascinate me.  There is also a great contrast of speeds -- the fast, crisp drumming vs. the slow, eerie keyboards & bass -- that gives a disorienting overall feel.  (I keep saying "track" rather than "song" because a song must, by definition, have vocals, you know.)  "1222" was also released as a 12" single/EP, backed with "Police Laughter" and "High Rize"; I will be posting the latter on here someday.

Pic: Can't think of one now, though I did plant an olive tree last week, so I should probably show it here. (See first sentence of this post.)
Update, 7/21/11 - Here's a pic of the top of that olive tree, which is about 5 feet tall and is named Gregg, taken right after I planted it on April 1st:

Planets with similar climates: Tristeza - "I Am A Cheetah" (2000) & "Halo Heads" (2005), Miles Davis - "Rated X" (1972), The Mercury Program - "Tequesta" (2002), Fela Kuti - "Confusion" (1975), The Orb - "Star 6 & 7 8 9" (1991), Macha - "Light The Chinese Flower" (1998).