There are some theories going around as to what exactly the titles of the Infinite Decimals releases actually mean. Perhaps the numbers are a code corresponding to letters of the alphabet. In this case then we get B.eddbagha…, which is unfortunately just as meaningless as the slew of endless infinite numbers.
Infinite Decimals are a Melbourne duo of Barnaby Oliver and Don Rogers who have been playing around town for about three years now, creating longform instrumental improvisations with guitar and bass, with occasional forays into piano and drums. Their music tends to evolve through repetition and subtle changes, often beginning light, at times even flowery before descending into more textural and at times visceral noise. It’s very much music about the evolution, about the journey, which is why the third of the three tracks here, the 26 minute 1.97988588 is probably the most rewarding. Recorded live at 2009’s Electundra festival, there’s a real sense of build, as the two instrumentalists first surround each other then drift apart into almost discordant territory before building in density and power. It’s music that you forget you’re listening to, leading the listener to certain emotional cues then allowing them to drift off, before somewhere down the track the listener rejoins the music and wonders how they managed to get there. The second piece, the title track, puts piano and a frenzied approach to the kit front and centre and seems to be more about creating a certain lush atmosphere as opposed to any kind of narrative journey, yet it really works have these two disparate approaches to the disc. The first two pieces, both at around about five minutes each feel more lush, though almost like a slice of the Infinite Decimals at a moment in time, though one wonders where they’d have ended up 5, 10 or 15 more minutes down the track.
Bob Baker Fish
