01 Chicago Death (22:45)
02 Excretion Geometry (22:52)
Total time 45:39
Cassette released by Unlikely Records, UK, 1986
‘Chicago Death Excretion Geometry’, recorded 1986, was to be Rimarimba‘s last album, initially published on Unlikely Records, then reissued as an Hamster LP (HAM 20) in 1987. On the cover of ‘In The Woods’, the 2nd Rimarimba LP (1985), the term ‘systems music’ is acknowledged as included in their catalog, Robert Cox probably referring here to The Dead Goldfish Ensemble and his own Rimarimba. Indeed, the kind of symmetric synth patterns that forms the epic tracks on CDEG are grounded in the British take on American Minimalism known as Systems Music and such composers as Andrew Poppy. Both Carl Howard (LP review in Zamizdat Trade Journal #5, USA, 1987) and Alan Freeman (Audion Magazine review, UK, 1987) noted the initial letters of the title form the basic chords for the compositions. Track #1 Chicago Death goes on for 11:20 mns on a C chord (Chicago), before morphing into a D chord for the remainder of the track (Death). While superficially repetitive, tracks are actually build on multiple sequences in elegant counterpoint, gently and relentlessly morphing into the next. Thus, through limited tone range and exquisite synth programming, Cox constructs enchanting, endlessly spiraling melodies. Easy listening that retains some mysteries, with electronic sounds sourced from DX7 and Casio CZ 101 preset sounds and the use of a Yamaha CX5 sequencer.
See also:
Rimarimba ‘In The Woods’ >
Rimarimba ‘Below the horizon’ >
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left me wanting more more more
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I guess the Carl Howard recommendation and the Chicago reference were tempting to you. Well, I already posted 3 of Rimarimba’s 4 albums, and the 4th was posted by my friends at Mutant Sounds. But some Robert Cox’s side projects are currently under consideration by Committee. Thanks for your comments.
Thank you very much, is always a pleasure to visit your musical archives. Greetings!!
You’re welcome.
Hello all. My daughters found your web pages about The Same and Rimarimba. They are friends of Ipswich based band The Waxing Captors (check them out – somewehere between Wire, Captain Beefheart and Pop/Punk)who really like Downtown. I had no idea people were still listening to my music. The title of CDEG comes from the spines of Encyclopedia Britannicas – it could have been called Light Number Prague Sex!
Is it time to reissue all this old stuff on CD? I still have the master tapes and the requisite technology.
I have gone back to my first love of acoustic guitar and am working on new material (as always).
Best wishes, Robert Cox (aka The Same, Rimarimba)
ps check out my radio shows on felixstoweradio.co.uk Sunday and Monday evenings 9-11 pm UK time (shameless self publicity)
Hello, Robert. Well, you’ve just found a remote corner of the Internet were a Rimarimba cult is regularly worshiped. We love your music and can’t have enough of the wonderful melodies you crafted in the 1980s. It is indeed high time to reissue some of these albums, though I’d personally prefer LPs. I’ll take the liberty to contact you via email in the following days, since there’s a lot of questions I’d like to ask you. Thanks for dropping by, Robert, very appreciated.
My name is TJ Sicilia and I run a small record label called Plastic Response Records based out of South Carolina. We do mostly cassette runs. I’ve been infatuated with Robert Cox’s work, especially Rimarimba for quite some time. I’ve been dying to reissue some of his work on cassette but have no idea how to go about doing so. I discovered your blog in my search to contact Cox and was wondering if you could help me out in anyway? maybe you could pass my email and message along to him?Thank you for your time!