Randy Greif
Mindless

The little-known American artist Randy Greif has been active since the mid-'70s and has undoubtedly produced quality works that fall within the realm of dark-ambient electronic music, sometimes with remarkable experimental peaks.

His music, often labeled as "tribal electronic", is actually a mix of trends that have characterized the last thirty years of the industrial genre, evolving in a personal way with an eye on the most disturbing and anxiety-inducing aspects of Nature. It's no coincidence that Greif has often used environmental sounds recorded in the wildest places on the planet.

The work I want to talk about today in Italy was released by the legendary Old Europa Café on a split-album in 1995, where Greif shared space with Illusion of Safety. The CD, produced in an edition of 1000 copies, proves to be one of the most interesting and intriguing things in my record collection. Obviously, where Greif's presence dominates, with a series of nine tracks, each more bizarre than the last.

Supported by a graphic presentation that looks like the photographic version of a painting by Max Ernst or Shuterland (with fans of mummified birds and other ornithological-marsh oddities), this "Mindless" by the American artist is an anthem to the hidden and subconscious aspects of the animal kingdom, with obvious parallels between the human species and other species where dimensions of schizophrenia—or temporary reincarnation—seem to overlap, resulting in dreamlike sound experiences.
From the opening track, "The Conversation," the sense of Randy Greif's creativity is immediately grasped, with a great mastery of sound beyond any instrumental convention, working without constraints on a terrain that may seem familiar to many, albeit unusual in the recording world.

Exceptional echoes of ultra-avant-garde jazz in the beautiful "I'm a bat," with vague reminiscences of the glorious This Heat, then moving on to the frenetic and tarantulated atonal scales of "Prague Overture" and the molecular pulsations of "Beaten To Sleep," in a triumph of atmospheres that seem to envelop and drag the listener into a surrealist painting.
It's a shame that, as usual, this kind of record remains confined to an elite of enthusiasts, has limited distribution, and therefore remains shrouded in mystery even for those who wish to enrich their musical knowledge.

I recommend it to all those who loved Faust, the early Current 93, but also the reassuring ambient music of Eno and the more experimental Pink Floyd. Ask Old Europa Café; maybe some copies are still available. The CD is titled "In our little bodies"… and remember that Randy Greif and Illusion of Safety feature on it.

For me, a great album. This is music that still gives the sense of true Art.