Elliot Sharp: Field and Stream

If you’ve heard or seen guitarist/saxophonist Elliott Sharp, chances are you haven’t really seen Elliott Sharp. A manifestation of Elliott Sharp, or one of his musical persona, maybe, but not the whole thing. At any one time, Sharp is likely to turn up as an unusually sensitive blues revisionist (on his Hoosegow, and Terraplane releases on Homestead), or a scabrous avant-punkster. On the second release from his Tectonics project, Sharp casts himself as an unpredictable virus in electro-dance’s mainframe, taking what he needs and sandblasting the rest. Field and Stream (The Knitting Factory KFR-227, 66:55) gives him plenty of space to work out his ideas, steering clear of rhythmic certainties, opting for a more unpredictable approach to rhythm and timbre. Think of it as techno with a bad leg: And, a bad attitude-processed guitar snarls introduce “Krkd”; “Glimpse of Field Effect” asymmetrical rhythms and envelope filter accented bass guitar sounds like Bootsy Collins in electroshock. And “Pangra” draws a direct line between modern sound crafting and Hendrix, via Bold As Love-ish backwards loops and distorted guitar washes.

Originally Published December 1, 1998