White Rainbow: "Low Ride on Moon Blvd."

He might not know it, but Adam Forkner is a master of metaphorical description. Recent recordings, self-described and lumped en masse by the artist himself into the as-yet-novel category of “pizza-based music,” have been flowing like hot tomato sauce from his Bandcamp—not only from the White Rainbow moniker but likewise from Forkner’s dirtier skronk-beat wack-fest Rob Walmart—and it wasn’t long before I realized Forkner was obviously a lexicological prophet worthy of my enduring trust. Because: there is no better way to describe this music. It’s warm, it’s gooey, and just about anything goes. I mean, “Technicolor post-ambient loop rhythms” has a ring to it and serves the genre elite well, sure, but even a seven-year-old could get excited about “pizza-based” anything and probably have a reasonable idea of what that entails. It’s universal, doing a surprising amount of justice to White Rainbow’s oozing progressions, Forkner having always been willing to throw just about anything into the mix. Even pineapple. Especially pineapple.

More high-profile White Rainbow records, from both Marriage and Kranky, made their mark, in part, by creating real groove with looped vocal rhythms and still finding time to build extravagant, reverent crescendos of synthesizer and guitar. Now things seem to be evolving measurably, Forkner attempting in ultra-progressive degrees to create a perfectly oversaturated image of the modern electronic sound. He never came from a purist’s standpoint anyway, choosing instead to demonstrate how the kitchen sink can be polished into something streamlined and clean, something kind to one’s water bill.

His newer recordings, “Low Ride on Moon Blvd.” being part of June’s From Now On Let’s LP, which was released by consistent White Rainbow patrons Marriage Records, seem to find Forkner decidedly absorbing more traditional electronic sounds—particularly those of drum machines—to mixed results. Forkner uses the beats as his backdrop more so than ever before, moving the focus from the swirling haze of his vocal and guitar loops to explore harsher textures. Specifically, “Low Ride” is probably the LP’s best pairing of what we know to be familiar from White Rainbow and the new, crisper sounds Forkner’s integrating into his soupy repertoire.

You’ll notice it’s relatively short, if you’re a White Rainbow diehard at least, and I have to admit that his normally organic-feeling flow has been a little defeated in lieu of a more sequenced approach. But that saucy groove? Maintained! The minimal, metallic swing of the drum machine locks in with wet, croaking bass notes and glassy synth, and despite the fact that the songs have been compressed in form, the rising swell of Forkner’s vocal nimbuses have plenty of time and space to settle in a haze over the whole affair.

All in all, “Low Ride” and the rest of From Now On Let’s announce some exciting new territory for Forkner’s sound, but the overwhelmingly prolific output of recent, similar material, plus the half-baked feel of a few of the tracks, lead me to think he could spend more time developing something specific. Because, really, Forkner is sweating in the kitchen to bring us more goodies than I think we think we know what to do with. Take a taste on whiterainbowpizza.bandcamp.com and digest this, your last poorly wrought dietary metaphor, until DJ Food one day rises again.