(Rock In Opposition, Avant-Garde) Non Credo - Reluctant Hosts - 1988, MP3 (tracks), 320 kbps

Non Credo is the Los Angeles based duo of multi-instrumentalists Joseph Berardi and Kira Vollman. She's a singer, he's a drummer, but their musical palette extends well beyond the scope of their primary instruments. Clarinets, marimbas, accordions, cellos, broken down keyboards, cheap electronics, children's toys and anything else that falls into their path are utilized. Nothing is sacred, nothing is wasted. Layering sounds and textures, they create enchanting songs and evocative moods in the seclusion of their studio, Zauberklang. Kira's voice displays a remarkable range, both tonally and emotionally, and their musical landscape is equally far-reaching. They draw from all styles and eras of music, from contemporary experimental forms to Saturday morning cartoons to film scores to pygmy war chants. But they can be equally excited by a page from Edward Gorey, a B movie full of smoke and fog, a twisted Bruegel landscape or an overheard conversation in a late-night diner. From gothic thriller to film noir haze to disturbed fairy tale, their audience is led on a journey with many detours and dark alleys along the way. Colorful characters inhabit their world, telling tales of the mundane elements of everyday life...greed, lust, hatred, crippling fear. You are never sure where this journey will lead, but be prepared to get seasick, be beaten up, thrown in jail, fall in love, contract an STD, have your heart broken, your wallet stolen, get shanghaied, hog tied and crucified.
The roots of Non Credo can be traced back to their first collaboration in the mid-80's called HumDrum, which was strictly voice and percussion. Seeking to expand, they began adding other players but soon grew weary of the frustrations of holding 3 or 4 neurotic musicians together to play their music. Instead they decided to invest in recording equipment and do it all themselves. This led to a compositional style that is totally integrated with and dependent upon the performances of the composers. They are interested in the expansion of the song form, creating atmospheres around a set of lyrics in a sometimes cinematic way.
Non Credo's debut LP, "Reluctant Hosts", was released in 1988 by No Man's Land, the German affiliate of Recommended Records, and re-released on CD in 2000. In 1995 they released "Happy Wretched Family" on the noted Canadian label, Les Disques Victo. They have also appeared on several CD compilations in Europe and the USA, and have composed music for film, radio, dance and performance pieces. Their powerful live performances mix song with improvisation, always paying close attention to their keen sense of structure. Their improvs usually take the form of "instant compositions", rather than freeform ramblings. They have performed in galleries, theatres, museums and rock clubs, and have played New Music festivals in USA, Canada (Musique Actuelle) and Europe.
LP issued in 1988 as No Man's Land NML 8814. CD version issued in 2000 on No Man's Land with 11 bonus tracks.
Drums, Percussion, Keyboards, Accordion, Cello - Joseph Berardi
Engineer - Earle Mankey (tracks: B2, B6) , J. Berardi* , K. Vollman*
Lyrics By - K. Vollman*
Producer - Non Credo
Voice, Bass, Keyboards, Clarinet - Kira Vollman