Australia's
Cannanes and
Boyracer side project
Steward collaborated on
Communicating at an Unknown Rate, which was released in 2000 on Olympia, WA's Yo Yo Recordings. The combination of the noise pop of Stewart Anderson (aka
Steward) and the blissful pop of
Cannanes was an ingenious pairing. The disc starts off with the carefree and horn-filled "Hey Leopard," which is followed by the calmly cool and percussion-heavy "Mirage," complete with maracas. "Not Quite Right" is a definite highlight, with its organ and harmonies throughout. The flutes on "Sharpie" create an ambient and delightful aura. Frances Gibson's melancholy voice leads the way on "Astra," backed by a sublime organ. The disc comes to a conclusion with the bright synthesizer and Gibson's introspective and optimistic musings on "Savage." The collaboration energized both artists. It's evidence of the surprises that came out of this pairing of artists, invigorating music that might not have otherwise been made. Plans were soon made to collaborate on yet another CD. ~ Stephen Cramer