HEAR: Makeunder – “Great Headless Blank”
Makeunder
“Great Headless Blank”
Great Headless Blank
Makeunder is the solo project of bandleader Hamilton Ulmer, who crafted his first release using a violin, saxophone, fatigued vocals and a small hand drum. Since then, Ulmer has rounded out the band’s lineup with Van Jackson-Weaver (vocals, guitars), Samantha York (vocals), Mario Godoy (synths, saxophone), Carolyn Walter (saxophones, winds) and John Doing (percussion). “Great Headless Blank” brings all these various people with their various instruments, throws them into a blender, and out comes a smooth mix of jazz, funk, and off tempos, all dominated by the beautiful falsetto voice of Ulmer. Amazingly complex. I especially love the way that Makeunder remakes all the rules of tempo and rhythm ever. I do believe Makeunder never met a time signature that they wanted to keep. What a band.