Think of a number. Let’s make it the number two. Coincidentally, that the exact member count of New Zealand post rock band Into Orbit. As coincidences go, that might not amount to much but can the same be said of their album “Kinesis”?
As with most two strong bands, there are limitations to what can be sonically achieved. Studio trickery can help, of course, but in the live environment, what you hear is what you get. “Kinesis” does indeed feature some studio trickery but it is nonetheless clear that Into Orbit – Paul Stewart on guitars and Ian Moir on drums – are perfectly adept at creating rock music that keeps it simple behind the scenes whilst still having a sufficiently polished sheen to make that trip to the studio seem worthwhile.
Devoid of words, their songs rely on the creation of atmosphere and, this being a band of our time, that atmosphere is a somewhat bleak one. The playful dexterity found in the heyday of rock way back in the seventies has no place here and, instead, Into Orbit draw black and white pictures from what they find around them. Power chords, unsurprisingly, abound as do the expected cascading guitar solos and solid percussive support. The pace, however, varies notably and the songs are never allowed to drift into verisimilitude with that very fact giving these songs an emotional resonance that other bands in genre so often fail to achieve.
The album is available from Bandcamp and the other usual outlets.
Best song? The extended dramatic workout “Burial Mask”.
The verdict? Into Orbit are more than just noise makers.