"As Seen From Above" is the Chicago math-rock band Dianogah's (like the garbage snake in Star Wars) debut full-length. It's one of the few (mostly) instrumental albums I always think about whenever I suggest that I don't like instrumental music because obviously I'm lying. Probably the most interesting thing about Dianogah, and certainly the reason I bought the album years ago, is that they don't have a guitarist. This isn't strange, lots of bands don't use guitars, but instead of using alternative methods Dianogah just employs 2 bassists to achieve their unique aesthetic, an idiosyncrasy that pays dividends.
Dianogah released two more records in the early part of the decade and then finally "qhnnnl" in 2008 which caught me totally off guard. Both because I didn't expect the release itself, and it was so far removed from their first album. Over their last two albums they added a guitar, keyboard and exponentially increased the amount of vocal recordings. I suppose this qualifies Dianogah as "experimental" and I'm sure a lot of people consider this to be true.
up next: more old shit from my cd collection
For fans of: Other Men, Shellac, Faraquet
