To support the release of his full-length Major Inconvenience on Montreal label Mothland, Christopher Pravdica’s solo project We Owe (Swans, Human Impact, Yonatan Gat, Twiggy Branches) has released “Slight Inconvenience,” the third video made by the artist Jim Larson, following up “Time Suck” and “Illogical Thinking.” While the bassist from Swans is renowned for his simple, bombastic 3-note rhythms, Pravdica’s second self-produced album is an ambitious mix of diverse sampling, from drums and acoustic percussion to synthesizers, bass guitar, autoharp, and kalimba.
Operating outside the mainstream alternative circle and its now sanitized and homogenized subject matter, the album is a gritty synthpunk excursion, combining a bright, cerebral post-rock approach with tape-damaged anti-pop hooks, which Pravdica himself describes as “post-alternative.” “Slight Inconvenience,” was initially created instrumentally with the help of orchestral samples from drummer Phil Puleo (Swans, Cop Shoot Cop, Human Impact). The lyrics, taken from an interview with a psychiatric in-patient, were added later.
Orchestral and atmospheric, the song evokes the drive to broaden one’s horizons. A kind of softness lurks behind the backing vocals and arrangements, producing a striking contrast with the sense of confinement of the interview. For Chris Pravdica, all thoughts can lead to ideas, if you dare to carry your determination to the end. Sometimes, out of sincere love for people, primitive and anarchic instincts may try to push certain limiting ideas. This crazy major inconvenience could actually turn out to be a gift, if you are willing to believe in it yourself.
