Moholy-Nagy - Like Mirage (Temporary Residence)

Moholy-Nagy is a trio, consisting of the founding members of art-rockers Tarentel, and the result of this collaboration, Like Mirage, is their first release together in well over a decade. They differ, though, in that they eschew the heavy, long, driving epics, in favor of a sound that is much more up-tempo and varied. Furthermore, Like Mirage isn’t constructed in such a way that it feels like an all-or-nothing listening experience. So if the band wants to record a song that’s gentle, soft, and almost jazzy—witness “Seagulls” and “Lunar Zone,” they do so. If they want a driving, spaced out 70s-style German prog number like “Brute Neighbors” or “Migratory Birds,” they do that, too. The commonality that these songs share is their feel; all of them could be called “tranquil,” even while they could be classified in a variety of ways. Perhaps the decision to go with a different name was a wise one; this is a quiet, sublime record that contrasts with what they’ve done in the past, while forging out on a path that is of a quality with their storied background.