(Silent Recordings/Undercover Music)

While boundaries certainly serve a purpose in music, some of the most exciting music produced comes when these boundaries are unexpectedly broken.  Coda are a band that produce music sitting at the edge of electronica, but borrow much of their sound from traditional folk music.  Fusing together strings, grooves and gypsy influences, this Sydney collective have delighted a broad range of audiences (from the Sydney Festival to school children with Musica Viva to the Big Day Out) with their innovative compositions.

For Our Animal Friends is Coda’s follow up to their debut, Aria Award nominated album, There Is A Way To Fly, from two years ago.  Merely an EP to satiate appetites until the release of their new album later this year, this release finds the band delving into sounds that range from Middle Eastern to gypsy to Moroccan.

The EP starts with Giraffe Girl, which slowly introduces xylophone, strings then keyboard, and builds up into highly textured and incessant haunting string melodies.  This track is followed by the Middle Eastern harmonies of Alunud, a rattle weaving in and out.

Smoking Camel On A Camel provides a folk bent to classical sounds.  Rich, orchestral textures, dominated by strings, weave through the track over gypsy dance beats.  Circus Bizarre lives up to its name with showground sounding music.  It builds up into a fast folk dance jig, and comes to an end with weird electronic noises. 

The fifth and final track on the EP is The Hunt, a chilled tribal track.  Starting simply with a meandering violin melody, incessant Moroccan influenced drumming is then introduced, topped off with xylophone and kooky electronic sounds.

For Our Animal Friends is a welcome release for fans and a great taste of Coda’s sounds for newcomers.  My one criticism is that it isn’t long enough – I’m sure I won’t be the only one hoping it’s not too long until the forthcoming album is released!