Cereal Banter

You'll most likely have questions after listening to the new album by Cereal Banter: questions like How much pot is left? and Where am I? Imagine 30 minutes with a strobe light taped to your face. Lights Lights Lights starts with an assembly of pitchy murmurs and jarring synthetic harmonies calling you into the sun. But unless you dig contemporary ambiance and minimalism, the sun may be the last place you want to go. If you're in it for the long haul, brace yourself for the six-minute track of cymbal crashes accompanied by the same three keyboard notes. Repetition is rampant here, but Cereal Banter aren't about hooks; they're about taking you to crazy, distorted dimensions. — Phil Barnes

- Cleveland Scene

"Cereal Banter is reserved for Joseph's most experimental side." - DRUM! Magazine

"Labeling them is ultimately a fruitless endeavor. They're like nothing you've heard. Chaotic, droning, oddly inviting. Their unpredictable, always-keep-em-guessing nature is refreshing." - The Big Takeover

Junk is as spastic and strident as their previous releases. And perhaps due to Gunzburg’s “expertise in electronic-building and manipulation,” it’s also stouter. Indeed, his thick layers of distortion make “Gnarly Chaplin,” the title track, and 13-minute closer “Old-Timey Physics” rumble like revving Harley engines, belching lava cauldrons, and stampeding elephants.

Not to be outdone, Joseph’s shambolic stickwork on “Is This Ride Operational?” feels like a bevy of bowling balls in a blender, while on “Spare Particles” – which conjures up a crazed, chaotic carousel ride – his boisterous, brutal banging sounds like he’s just slung his drumkit down a steep, spiraling staircase. Only Gunzburg’s sporadic, spaced-out vocals provide a breather from the bombardment. - The Big Takeover