On his ninth solo record and second for K Records,
Arrington de Dionyso continues his exploration of Tuvan throat singing. Fans of his Gypsy punk/indie rock three-piece
Old Time Relijun may have heard him warming up his voice at live shows with a constipated Popeye impression, and for
I See Beyond the Black Sun, he fills the entire disc with similar-sounding vocal exercises. By doing away with some of the more freewheeling tracks of reckless horn solos that cluttered the last album and focusing primarily on the human voice instead, the experience is a bit more meditative, but that doesn't make it much less difficult. Essentially, it is what it is --
de Dionyso employing a warbling baritone groan over a few backing layers of drones (courtesy of a bass clarinet and jaw harp) for nearly 40 minutes. Fans of De Dionyso's other solo work, especially the self-titled track and "White Fire Black Fire," from 2006's Breath of Fire, will not find this much of a departure, but as slow-moving as it is, it's doubtful that this release has any crossover potential for collectors of the K Records catalog or even die-hard fans of
Old Time Relijun. [The CD version includes an 18-minute bonus track not included on the vinyl release.] ~ Jason Lymangrover