Fly Pan Am is the main gig of Godspeed You Black Emperor! guitarist Roger Tellier-Craig, and their first recording was a seriously limited split 7" with Godspeed that came as part of the bilingual Montreal rag amaZINE.

Mini review-within-a-review of that amaZINE split: Fly Pan Am's track is nothing special-- just a pretty, low-key instrumental rock track. But the Godspeed cut rocks the Bauhaus. It begins in typical Godspeed fashion-- an interview with some old crank. But this guy has a fascinating story to tell about the old days of circus sideshows and geeks who were, he claims, alcoholics or drug addicts denied their fix. The problem now, he says, is all the geeks are roaming the streets, instead of in cages where they should be. Perfect. Some cheap strings then burst in (I think this was an earlier, 4-track version of Godspeed) and they build to a grand, tragic climax until the track is overwhelmed by bassed-out electronics. Wow. Now, back to our regularly scheduled review.

A 1999 eponymous full-length came next from Fly Pan Am, and now comes this 30-minute, three-track EP. So, now that we have the background out of the way, here comes the part where I tell you what's good and what's bad about Sedatif en Fréquences en Sillons. The good is that these guys can build an appealing and peculiar instrumental groove. The bad is that they spend too much time on other stuff. Let me explain.

The opening track is a kind of remix/reworking of some material off their debut. After a few seconds of random noise, Fly Pan Am fall into a driving two-chord vamp that features some beautiful picking by Tellier-Craig. This opening section builds a head of steam, with a good bit of tension added by some threatening noise that weaves in and out. And then, around the four-minute mark, the song disappears completely, and we're treated to what sounds like an extended recording of a piss-drunk Norm Abrams tearing through his shop, trying to find the right tool to amputate his leg. It's nothing particularly interesting, just a bunch of cans rattling about and the occasional saw or power drill. The band eventually breaks free of this wreckage, staggers back into that beautiful opening, and adds to the mix the ethereal, wordless voice of Norsola Johnson, who is seemingly trying out for a part in Steve Reich's Proverb.

The second track "éfférent/afférant" is essentially a Can tribute, and a fine one at that. More electronics and sound effects weave in and out of the steady rhythm, with the bass in particular evoking the pulse of "Yoo Doo Right." Because it's so hypnotic, it's a short ten minutes. And this time, Fly Pan Am make good use of the added dissonant textures. The final track is a shorter, slightly more compelling tape noise collage, but again, there's nothing too striking or affecting about it. That about says it.

-Mark Richard-San