Split Single Reviews | Waters of the Orient EP Reviews | Live Reviews
is this music?, June
2005
empire-builder - "How the Mighty Have Stagnated"
(Gringo)
"With Thunder! Thunder! Thunder! doing the
raw guitar thing pretty well on the flipside, our focus is
drawn to the 'Builder's first appearance in several years - and with their trademark stop-start rhythms and driving guitars, it's good to have them back."
4/5
(Bernhard Bessing)
>unpeeled.co.uk (now defunct), April 2005
empire-builder - "How the Mighty Have Stagnated" (Gringo)
SPOILING US
"Densely layered and rather snazzy guitaring over sleazy,
strolling basslines and snarl-drawled vox make this fucking
brilliant and more than we deserve. If the Darkness could do
this they, well, they would."
Mark's Tales
58 @ losingtoday.com,
20th March 2005
empire-builder / thunder! thunder! thunder! 'split' (Gringo)
"No information with this at all but hey - like since when
did that ever stop some damn fine rooting tooting tunes
squirming their way from the old hi-fi. This split single is
part of Gringo's ongoing 'singles club' which we are
horrified to admit we knew nothing about and are now much
mortified in the knowledge that we've been missing out big
time especially seeing as this release is the fifth of six
in the planned set which incidentally has / or may (as the
case may be) features choice cuts from Erase Errata, New
Radiant Storm King and El Hombre Trajeado which for us is
enough alone to have us weeping buckets at our loss. Each
release comes packaged in a neat cardboard sleeve pretty
much in the same style as those beloved Noisebox releases of
yesteryear - and each is limited to 500 copies. Seeking
solace then in this cute little ear pricker, Empire Builder
despite being around for a few years you won't be to
surprised to hear are pretty much unknown to me so what a
joy it was to hear these Glasgow based dudes in all their
melodic glory crunching their way through 'How the Mighty
have stagnated'. Scratch away at the see-sawing riffs of
what is ostensibly post rock-ist chiming noodles and you'll
be greeted by something of a tender pop motif buried low
down into the mix, in fact its such a sweetie that it has
you on the back heel immediately but then Empire Builder
being as they are realise this to their advantage slowly
reeling you in dreamily before trouncing you with unbridled
moments of reverse chord twanging thrusts as if to casually
remind you who they are, what they are and why you need them
doing their thang all over your hi-fi. Thunder! Thunder!
Thunder! over on the flip are a little more resolute in
their approach and hey guess what - no info (we really must
get this journalist thing sorted). Anyway 'As in Stop' is
bulging with all manner of jerky stop start dynamics much
loved by the math rock fraternity though here displayed with
less of an observation to calculus and more to obtuse
angular contortions as the ensemble frug their way through
three minutes of what sounds not unlike an autumnal 'fuck
you - were cool' lazy as you like skewed Sonic Youth sharing
stage space with a toned down Quickspace. Goes without
saying you should have this."
Read this review and others here
Is., January 2001
empire-builder - Waters of the Orient (Gringo)
"This is good, really good. Sounding like a bits of june of
44, polvo and unwound but retaining it's own character
completely and managing to sound glaswegian rather than
american, which is unarguably a good thing (who wants to see
a band that sounds like an american band when there are so
many american bands that come and play here anyway.)the band
are taught and emotional repetitive in an effective rather
than a lazy way, discordant and awkward like polvo at their
finest. The lyrics are interesting (if a little hard to
hear), something you don't usually find with british bands
influenced by touch'n'go stuff (as this band obviously are),
these bands tens to concentrate on being accomplished
musicians rather than all round good song writers: blame
slint. Waters of the orient and trade in fiction are the
choice cuts on this 7" as I am vasco da gama is a fairly
dull instrumental which I 'm hoping isn't typical of their
other stuff."
Broken Violin #3, October 2000
empire-builder - Waters of the Orient (Gringo)
"Waters of the Orient is an eerie
starter but compels you to listen on. It's a slow and
uneasy start but cascades into a brilliant middle
section. Trade in Fiction and I am Vasco da Gama are
also strong tracks and together the three round off a
well-written and highly listenable EP. Empire Builder
is a great new Glasgow band to lookout for, being a
blast of creepy melodies and weirdly wonderful
tunes."
(Claire Lim)