A quick look at the (VxPxC) homepage (or the various sections of this particular site) will tell you that (VxPxC) are not ones to sit idle for any amount of time. Simply stated, their recorded output of the past few years is staggering. ?Of Indeterminate Age,? on band member Grant Capes? own Phantom Limb Recordings, has this overachieving band return with another limited CDR of experimental goodness. There is a mountain of variety and intricacy on these six untitled instrumentals and not a dull moment from start to finish.

Elements reoccur throughout "Of Indeterminate Age," but no two tracks can ever accused of sounding too much alike. Electric guitar anchors most of the disc, both for wild feedback and some more conventional guitar work. Keyboards also play a starring role. The best keyboard moment comes on the third track as deep, organ drones roll behind chaotic guitar work. In addition, at any given time, banjos, xylophones, random percussion, harmonica, violins, and voice samples might be heard peppering the corners of the disc. The effect of this instrumental grab-bag is that each song feels like a full assortment of musical themes and influences. For instance, the first two tracks of the disc heap on plenty of loud guitar, but the band still embeds a backwoods, folk feeling with the addition of banjo and harmonica, respectively.

Even with the seemingly overwhelming number of instruments, the disc still finds a great balance of loud and soft. There is plenty of noisiness, but it is about equally balanced out by more delicate moments. One standout from the mellower part of the equation is the fourth track. Spare guitar notes, xylophone, tambourine, recorded voice, and electronic noises blend into a brooding piece of music. The sixteen minute final track works as a closing argument for the rest of the disc, pulling together most of the instruments and themes from the previous tracks. It begins simply enough, bringing back the banjo, and builds to a noisy middle, full of guitar, keyboard, and xylophone, then gradually drops away to a minimal ending.

The overall experience of this disc can only be described as hypnotic. Each track further absorbs the listener into depths of sound as time slides past. There is certainly a lot to hear on this album, and the end result is nothing short of impressive. Hopefully, (VxPxC) doesn?t get burned out from releasing so much music, so there can be more like this in the near future. 9/10 -- Matt Blackall (26 June, 2007)