Ambulance - Witchi Tai To

by John Clarkson

published: 28 / 8 / 2005

Label: Sea Records
Format: 12"

Inspired electro-folk updating of Canadian Indian Jim Pepper's obscure 1960's peyote chant from boldly experimental Liverpool-based group Ambulance

Review

Early publicity for Ambulance’s new record ‘Witchi Tai To’ has been good. Rob Da Bank and Chris Coco have made it one of their Tunes of the Month on their Blue Room Show on Radio 1. Steve Lamacq has been giving it airplay on his radio programmes, both again for Radio 1 and also for the KCRW station in California. It has been a Single of the Week on the Playlouder website as well. Ambulance, who come from Liverpool, have playing together off and on for a number of years, and have released two previous records. The first ‘I Am a Star I Am An Angel’ came out on Honey Records, and was remixed for free by Arthur Baker, the legendary New Order producer, after it caught his ears. The second ‘The Ambulance EP’ was released by Robot ! Records, and includes an inspired electronic reworking of gangsta rappers So Solid Crew’s ’21 Seconds.’ Limited to 500 copies and only available in 12” vinyl, ‘Witchi Tai To’, the first release of new Liverpudlian label Sea Records, proves to be an equal revelation. The title track is an electro-folk updating of Canadian Indian Jim Pepper and his band Everything is Everything’s obscure 1969 jazz reworking of a Native American peyote chant. Chanted vocals are merged with chiming licks of guitar and slowly surging washes of techno beats to hypnotic, forceful effect. The B side, ‘Over and Out’, one of the band's own compositions, is equally impressive, and is a whacked out kraut rock number, which with tongue-in-cheek humour recalls the Primal Scream of ‘Vanishing Point’ and ‘Xtrmntr’. Warbling 60's style ‘Doctor Who’ sound effects are thrown playfully up against stomping tribal drums, grinding thrusts of cod metal guitar and samples of some of the silliest B movie dialogue imaginable (“We’re a thousand miles away from anywhere, man, and it’s going to get a hell of a lot worse before it gets better”). Ambulance with this third release combine bold experimentation with both sharp melodies and a lusty sense of Python-esque ridiculousness. Immensely likeable, Ambulance deserve to do very well.