Caboladies, Live Anywhere (side A)

2010's Live Anywhere captures the duo incarnation of this Chicago electronic group.  The band members seem to be young, so it's somewhat unsurprising that they draw influences from current electronic music.  There's an element of chaotic noise from the Wolf Eyes school, and an element of synth freakiness reminiscent of artists like Keith Fullerton Whitman or Ben Vida.  The surprising part is when historical referents sneak in — their approach to sound also reveals obvious traces of Bruce Gilbert and early Cabaret Voltaire.  Where those artists used simple, repetitive structures, Caboladies blend the early-80s influences into more modern, freer structures.  Each track explores a relatively constrained set of sonic ideas, in what appears to be a loose improvisation developing this palette.  Sounds from their different sonic realms coexist within each track.  The structures of the pieces, and even the interplay between the musicians, seem less important than the open-ended exploration of sounds for the joy of finding what can exist.  The lack of evolution, despite the constant movement, is both an obvious limitation, and also a simple charm.  The simple black-and-white cover design fits closely with other current electronic works, moreso than referencing the contents in a meaningful way.  The austere, direct recording feels slightly rough, but draws little attention to itself.