What started out as the Akira project (something about his love of Tokyo) and appeared here and there on compilations and an Orb tribute, has degenerated into what is now Salvo Beta. Granted, as with most of these sad little perverted electro-music people, there is plenty of time spent alone in dark apartments, noodling with 1/4" jacks. But thankfully here is a solo act that rocks on stage. The live performances have evolved into a seriously juiced form of entertainment that includes DJ Blowfish and an energetic and human drummer, Dan Smith, doubling and tripling noxious beats. With their amazing performances, Salvo Beta have recently played out with Melt Banana, the Faint, Hrvatski, EC8OR, Twine, and Richard Devine as well as a one off show in Kyoto, Japan.
After an amazing Hrvatski / Salvo Beta show at the Empty Bottle, Chicago, the two sat down and talked music for an issue of Tape Op, and the idea for remixes oozed from the chatter. Soon Chicago’s electronic scenesters were corralled to throw down, as well as laptop stars like Jake Mandell, Sutekh, Safety Scissors and Twine. To cap off the roll-call Melt-Banana got in the ring, having declared SB one of their U.S. faves, and trekked their legion of distorted guitars into the studio to put down the fresh godzilla tracks early this May. The result is the Someoddpilot Records release, "Evil Against Evil: The Kids in the Neighborhood Grab Their Bats and Remix Abrasive Stuttering."
Aside from SB, Sean and Dan have collaborated on other projects such as Is.U.Is (an improv space-rock trio) and Pointy Teeth (Preston Klik's [My Scarlet Life] live techno project). The Salvo Beta debut, "Abrasive Stuttering," is a multi-layered superstructure of texture and color, driveshaft beats and rhythms taken off of hot coals - a perfect execution in contemporary idm and drum & bass collage. 13 tracks that kick up a storm around the electronic genre, with nods to the caustic attitude of Kid 606 and Melt Banana, the bipolar rhythmic behavior reminiscent of Mouse-On-Mars, and the Saturday morning infectious jingling of network television.
"Salvo Beta enters the instrumental electronic scene on the offensive. His beats are aggressively overdriven and his melodies are sinister. Clearly taking cues from fellow deconstructionists like Mouse On Mars, Salvo Beta;s noisy audio show is a pummeling and spastic display of rhythm and texture.
Abrasive Stuttering sounds like the work of an attention-deficient madman (itÍs actually just a guy named Sean Wolfe, who must have access to some pretty amazing machines). Each track sprays beats like gunfire while ominous sound effects crackle erratically. Moments of clarity do interrupt the barrage of percussion, but they are short-lived before the next onslaught hammers you back in your seat.
Melody plays a subordinate role to the explosive rhythms. The song structures are unorthodox to say the least, but the music is not just a formless display of aggression. Salvo Beta knows how to abuse his loud/soft dynamic to manipulate your ears into falling for the same trick again and again without losing interest. When melody does take center stage, though, it is hypnotic and repetitive.
Salvo Beta lets you see the eye of the storm in "Network", where everything is calm and serene. Your ears wince at every turn expecting yet another assault, but even after nine minutes of floating in space it never comes. "Clugy" spits and sputters so many simultaneous rhythm tracks that you feel worn out just listening to it much less trying to dance.
This joyous synthesis of rhythm and noise runs circles around your average drum and bass ensemble. Salvo Beta may be new to this game, but he comes with an arsenal of beats and both barrels loaded." -Eric Greenwood, drawerb.com
"Salvo Beta tosses diversity into a big heap of beats, and scratches, and squaks, and gurgles, and drones..." -supersphere.com
