Hologramatron
	Produced by Barry Cleveland
	Released on April 20, 2010
	no chart information
	Find it at GEMM
MJR033 cover [high resolution scan]

A n album of incendiary avant rock in the fine tradition of Robert Fripp, Hologramatron finds guitarist/journalist Barry Cleveland in good company and firing off a baker’s dozen of original songs, instrumentals, covers and remixes. This appears to be the most rock-oriented of his releases, and as such represents a departure from Moonjune’s usual formula of avant-garde fusion (i.e., Cleveland doesn’t get strong-armed into covering a Soft Machine track). As a self-described “protest” album, Hologramatron elicits a strong reaction on the opening “Lake of Fire,” in which singer Amy X Neuwirth rips (presumably right-wing conservative) Christians a new one by suggesting that Jesus Christ will return as an uber-Karl Rove. Now, as a Christian, I find the song offensive on any number of levels (for the record, I am strongly apolitical), so it’s a shame that Hologramatron begins and ends with it. (I’m actually a pretty hard person to offend, so kudos of a sort are in order, I suppose.) In addition to Fire, there are a trio of tracks that make this a bona fide protest record: “Money Speaks” (Neuwirth), “Warning” (featuring Artist General as George Carlin on bad acid) and “Suicide Train” (sung respectably enough by Cleveland himself). As if to balance all of that anger, Hologramatron features two charming cover songs: “What Have They Done To The Rain” (the record’s “Cindy Tells Me” moment with Neuwirth, claws retracted) and a wonderful version of Joe Meek’s timeless “Telstar” (Cleveland is actually the author of a book about Meek). Around these are the kind of instrumental, guitar-driven soundscapes that all guitarists emit in varying levels: “You’ll Just Have To See It To Believe,” “Abandoned Mines,” “Dateless Oblivion & Divine Response” (the first two are treated to excellent remixes at the end). As someone who fondly remembers Exposure and League of Gentleman, Hologramatron is my kind of guitar album: heavy on the songs, experimental and confrontational, with an impressive gallery of guest artists who spice things up from track to track.

TRACK LISTING

1. LAKE OF FIRE    4:22
2. MONEY SPEAKS    4:40
3. YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO SEE IT TO BELIEVE    (Barry Cleveland/Erdem Helvacioglu)    5:22
4. STARS OF SAYULITA    6:12
5. WARNING    (Barry Cleveland/Artist General)    4:20
6. WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO THE RAIN    (Malvina Reynolds)    4:56
7. ABANDONED MINES    5:45
8. SUICIDE TRAIN    4:23
9. TELSTAR    (Joe Meek)    3:55
10. DATELESS OBLIVION & DIVINE REPOSE    1:54
11. ABANDONED MINES (FORREST FANG REMIX)    8:26
12. YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT (ALTERNATE MIX)    (Barry Cleveland/Erdem Helvacioglu)    5:48
13. LAKE OF FIRE (EVAN SCHILLER REMIX)    4:21
    
    All songs written by Barry Cleveland unless noted
    

CREDITS

BARRY CLEVELAND -- electric guitar, 12-string electric guitar, acoustic guitar, acoustic 12-string guitar, Moog guitar, sampled percussion, sampled Mellotron, GuitarViol, bass, vocals, samples, engineer, mixing, photographic images
CELSO ALBERTI -- drums, percussion, cajon, shaker, djembe
MICHAEL MANRING -- bass
AMY X NEUBURG -- vocals
ROBERT POWELL -- pedal-steel guitar, lap-steel guitar
Forrest Fang -- mixing, processing and violin (11)
Artist General -- voice (5)
Edrem Helvacioglu -- acoustic-electric guitar and electronics (2,12)
Deborah Holland -- vocals (4)
Harry Manx -- vocals (4)
Gino Robair -- dumbec and kendang (6)
Rick Walker -- congas, chain-link drums, teapot, dumbec
Evan Schiller -- mixing, processing (13)
Richard Price -- photographic images
Jeremy Nunes -- graphics and layout

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