Canartic
Bouncing Radar Beams off the Moon Dank Disk
 
The American Southwest: home of Roswell, freakishly large spiders, and hallucinogens that grow right out in the open. And then there’s all that open: the vaporous, heat-induced systematic derangement of the senses, the impossibly star-spotted black nights of the soul. It’s given us the Meat Puppets, the Black Sun Ensemble and the 13th Floor Elevators, to name but a few. Welcome to the party, then—and get ’em a cold one, why don’t ya?—psychedelic dub warriors Canartic, an Austinite trio who, with all apologies to Orange Goblin and the like, lay down the real stoner rock here. “Narcatic,” an eight-minute (internal) epic, is like Black Market Clash if it were actually bought on the black market: straight FUBAR. “Syd’s Psychedelic Adventure” might have made the Madcap laugh. Perhaps the best song here, however, is “The Soft Collapse,” equal parts Flaming Lips and, well, Soft Machine. Duuude.
By Timothy Davis 
First printed in December 2007
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Engaging in a dub journey by taking the express train to Jamaica always means safer sex, when compared to the dive into the wide unknown of adding less-saturated elements to the bill. That's exactly what Canartic, a band from Austin, Texas, does in "Bouncing Radar Beams Off the Moon". And one also has to give the guys some credit for the great title they came up with.

It would be unfair and, above all, incorrect to state that these Texans only have dub and reggae written in their DNA. For the sake of accuracy, in their second full-length, Canartic is how Lee "Scratch" Perry would sound like if he ever artistically hooked up with Slint. And on tracks like "London 67", they even resemble Norway's electronic favorites Röyksopp.

The problem with dub is that it sometimes lacks consistency in its smokey, infatuated delivery. That doesn't happen on numbers like "Syd's Psychedelic Adventure", simply because Randall Peterson's guitar and Gerard Smith's bass are not regarded as furniture but rather as key figures. By "Pie Eyed Piper", you should have realized that this is not a dub record, but a post-dub, psychedelic, slowed-down post-rock album of sorts.

And let us not forget Jon Coates' great job in the rhythm and sound section. He is what links the lighthearted Marley's nephews to the more mature King Tubby's dub roots. Unlike most reggae-oriented works, Canartic's never gets drowsy. After a somehow lethargic cut like "The Soft Collapse", there's always a drone-built "Narcatic" (read narcotic) to wake you up. It really saves a lot of your caffeine money.

~ Helder Gomes
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The Wire review - October 2007
Canartic
Bouncing Radar Beams Off The Moon
 
Hailing from Austin, Texas and billed as " a post-rock, psychedelic, electronic concept recording in dub", Canartic come across like how Jesus Acedo's Black Sun Ensemble would turn out if they submitted to the dub gospel. For those who find drone too much of a challenge and the charms of dub all too resistable, then these slow-mo, psychedelic riffings and airborne sonic curlicues from Jon Coats and Randall Peterson may provide the missing link between Tubby and Hendrix's "Third Stone From The Sun". Fans of straightedge dub beware: this is smoky, spacy and out there, and strictly for those who believe psychedelia never realised its true intent. Steve Barker - The Wire - October 2007 issue.
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Canartic. Jon Coats and Randall Peterson are responsible for a variety of sounds, noises and aural landscapes on the fine "Bouncing Radar Beams Off The Moon" release. Guitars, bass, loops, samples and effects make their music akin to dub, but somewhat much more breezier. They could be compared to a lazier Orb, but yet they pack a bigger punch. The duo gracefully navigate between numbers sticking to a formula that has been bludgeoned to death by other artists - think a lighter Laswell riding a dub beat while tripping in a blue room somewhere. Despite its familiarity of sound, an excellent release nonetheless. 

- Tom Sekowski
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