Tumble 
Artist  Biota 
Album Title  Tumble 
Date of Release  1989 (release) inprint 
AMG Rating    
Genre  Electronica 
Styles  Ambient 
Time  73:55 
Library View  Click Here to see this album in MARC format. 
                         
AMG EXPERT REVIEW: 

        This album contains two distinct projects from Biota recorded between the fall of
  1988  and  the  spring  of  1989. Tumble, the longer of the two, has recurring hints of
  various  flavors  of  American  pop  music, and in particular the music of the American
  West.  Fingerstyle  guitar  is at the center of "Things Seem Like Just Happen," and the
  first  half  of  "Wire  Talker" is a twisted jig with bagpipes, kazoos, and concertina.
  Other  pop  influences  include  a  jazzy  saxophone line at the beginning of "House of
  Suitcase"  and  early  rock on "Operator for Cataract" and a greater interest in melody
  than  any  previous  work.  But  enumerating the various influences and elements barely
  scratches  the  surface  of this album, as with all of their work. While there may be a
  recognizable  instrument or two in the foreground, the listener is hard-pressed to pull
  specifics  out  of  the murk that backgrounds the entire album. Biota's working methods
  almost  always  start  with  more  or  less  traditional  instruments,  but  electronic
  processing  starts  early  and  continues  throughout  the  recording process. The slow
  concertina  waltz  that  constitutes  "Finder," for example, is accompanied by acoustic
  guitar  and a simple percussion, but there is a big unspecified cloud out of which this
  material  emerges.  It  is this cloud that gives Biota its instantly recognizable aura.
  Throughout  Tumble,  episodes succeed each other, presenting more different pieces than
  the  track  listing  would  suggest. "Ghost Shirt" is more abstract but still episodic,
  with  clattering  noise and percussion sections alternating with quiet melodies, reverb
  guitar,  and  demented  blues riffs, and uses the same source material as "Operator for
  Cataract" and "Shadows Appear to Do." × Caleb Deupree 

  1.   New Lookout (Biota) - 2:58 
  2.   One Eye Open (Biota) - 3:18 
  3.   Things Seem Like Just Happen (Biota) - 5:16 
  4.   Wire Walker (Biota) - 6:33 
  5.   Shadows Appear to Do (Biota/Fuller) - 7:05 
  6.   Picture by Accident (Biota) - 7:22 
  7.   House of Suitcase (Biota) - 4:58 
  8.   Finder (Biota) - 1:22 
  9.   Buffalo Come Back (Biota/Vrtacek) - 5:44 
  10.   Operator for Cataract (Biota) - 6:40 
  11.   When They Know (Biota) - 5:55 
  12.   The Less Said (Biota) - 7:14 
  13.   - :15 
  14.   Ghost Shirt (Biota) - 9:15