Labeling Radian as an instrumental rock band may be true, but also sells the Austrian-based outfit short of an honorable description. Fusing elements of post-rock, jazz, and dub, the trio stitches together traditional sounds taken from acoustic and electric rock that adds bits of rhythmic noise and even chopped-up sections of their own recordings. They could almost be compared to their American counterparts and labelmates in Tortoise, but only in a sense that's very difficult to put a finger on Radian's exact direction (and in a very good way). In the past, albums such as rec.extern (2002) and Juxtaposition (2004) have been filled with incredible pieces that begin slowly, usually incorporating one or two droning/repeating elements that take each song to new places so you never end up exactly where you started. After a five-year break, the band delivers Chimeric via Thrill Jockey, and as the title suggests, the six-track LP is a mythical creature comprised of terrifying sonic beasts. "Git Cut Noise" starts the album off with a playful, and almost boneheaded, distorted, percussive phase offset by the sound of a guitar switching pickups, and eventually evolves into a dark, noisy stomp. One practice that seems to be the key to the group's sound (and extremely relevant on a nice surround stereo or pair of headphones) is the use of space — both in recording and song structure. "Kinetakt" is a restless track in which sounds could be perceived as if each member were clawing for the use of one microphone to capture their own coveted found sound or chord phrase. Chimeric is their most spacious and raw album, but no single song ever drifts so far out that interest is lost. Each piece is calculative, and never comes off cold, and Radian has managed to craft music that is multifaceted, yet familiar in a déja vu sort of way.
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