Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA Jienexfore - Hi Desert Surf
 | Jienexfore is Don Brandfas & Jien Exfore of Fallon, Nevada. There are a couple of characteristics that define all of these instrumentals. The first is virtually no connection to surf. The second is that all songs fade in and fade out. the third is indiscriminate use of active panning, and the fourth is their unchanging nature. I'm quite sure these are home sessions with drum machines, etc., yet there are some interesting song ideas here that deserve to be fleshed out in a real band. |
Picks: Tsunami, Shifting Sands, SurfBoogie, Sandy Waves, SurfNeat, Cool Breeze, Sand Mountain Surfing
Track by Track Review
Rock (Instrumental)
"Tsunami" is a soft number with a sullen sound. The melody line is very emotional and engaging. While the drums are relentlessly unchanging, the profound sadness reigns supreme.
Rock (Instrumental)
Moving very slowly with emotional tremolo shimmer, "Shifting Sands" is both lovely and extremely sad. Beautiful as only very lonely songs can be.
Rock (Instrumental)
"SurfBoogie" is not really a boogie, but it employs a progression typical of early guitar boogies. The lead guitar pans around with no particular reason, creating a minor psychedelic impression. For the most part, it's pretty jammy.
Sandy Waves Rock (Instrumental)
With slow island chords and imagery, "Sandy Waves" eases in on the shore like sunset ripples on a lagoon. It's pretty, but way too unchanging.
SurfNeat Rock (Instrumental)
Distortion defines the guitar. The melody riff is all rock'n'roll, completely missing anything sense of surf music. Only the mechanical drums mimic the surf beat.
Cool Breeze Rock (Instrumental)
"Cool Breeze" is well named. Like a brisk flow of mountain air, the sounds calm and refocus you. Very pretty, but unchanging and unsurf.
Sand Mountain Surfing Rock (Instrumental)
Big distortion and rock tonality deliver a non-melody as the instruments pan around without purpose. "Sand Mountain Surfing" is more a minor psych attempt than a surf song.