Ratatak.com/music, Summer 2001

"Chaotic, discordant, all at once uncomfortable and comforting"

Flighty, but wonderfully put together, it's jazz for a post-punk generation. This is The Mahogany Throttle, an instrumental three-piece from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, that is proving that, just because something's instrumental rock, that doesn't make it Easy Listening.

The group, made up of Brent Budsberg on bass, John Gleisner on drums and David White on guitar, formed in October, 1999, and played its first show three days and four practices later, largely improvising the entire show. The first incarnation of the band was as a nine piece improvisational orchestra, including a cello, a second bassist, a clarinet and lots more guitar.

"At that point we had to improvise for the simple fact that we had no material," Budsberg told Ratatak. "In those days, we'd incorporate a lot of performance aspects, utilizing anything from old record players with train sounds to toy instruments, and Dave would go off on long improvised spoken word monologues. But as we've progressed, we've gotten more into the writing process and have taken a somewhat more serious outlook towards our music." The group's sound is not an easy one to pigeonhole and they definitely don't wear their influences on their sleeves. Each member brings certain influences to the table as varied as Led Zeppelin, Jeff Buckley and Fugazi. However, those influences are barely perceptible on their full-length album Push Forward for Speed, released in February of this year, or any of their other work. The band's mission varies from member to member, but having a good time with their music is a part of it. "I'll settle for being able to be in this band for a long time, and to hopefully put out records that will challenge listeners," Gleisner told Ratatak. "I've never thought that Instrumental rock was the fast track to shiny pants and Lamborghini limousines, so I'll settle for being able to continue doing it as long as it's a good time."

The reason for not using vocals, according to Gleisner, comes from two things. "One, none of us could pull it off effectively," he said. "Two, without a singer, there's a great deal of freedom to move instrumentally. It's not too easy to put words to music when the music is in 5 for 2 bars, followed by another section whose time can only be thought of in terms of phrasing. "There's so much happening at any given time in most of our songs, that words would feel extraneous," Gleisner continued. "The music is a better storyteller than I think we could be as lyricists."

This kind of music isn't usually my cup of tea, but this group does it well, which makes all the difference. At the current time, the band is working to round up the funds to do a couple of smaller tours and will have a track on an upcoming No Karma Records compilation. In addition, the group plans on getting back into the studio to lay down some of about 15 pieces that didn't make it on Push Forward for Speed. In addition to standing apart from the crowd musically, the group also showed Ratatak in an interview that there is "Behind the Music" material there.

Witness the response to a question about which member is most likely to end up in an insane asylum within the next 20 years: "Me... or maybe Dave," Budsberg said. "I don't know. I could see us both coincidentally ending up in the same asylum and Dave would be constantly soliciting the nurses for sex and I'd just be sitting in the corner reciting nursery rhymes and laughing hysterically. John's a bit more stable. He'll make it at least 30 years." Gleisner, however, disagrees. "It's a carefully conceived façade," he responded "I'm as batshit as the rest of them."

Visit www.mahoganythrottle.com for a schedule of upcoming shows, mp3 downloads of 4 songs from Push Forward for Speed, 8 tracks recorded Summer, 2000 at Castle Broadway studios, 4 early demos, and a complete show from the Cactus Club in Milwaukee. Visit Soutrane Recording Company at www.soutrane.com for more information, or contact the Mahogany Throttle at shows@mahoganythrottle.com , or by phone at 414.940.7266 for booking.