Table played angular noise rock with aggressive force and rhythmic ingenuity. Hailing from Chicago and kicking around town in the early-’90s, the trio was comprised of Madison, WI transplants bassist Warren Fischer (Fischerspooner; yes, that Fischerspooner), drummer Tim Stevens (Ancient Greeks), and Chicago-native, singer Vito Greco. Contemporaries of bands like Jesus Lizard, Slint, and Tar, Table also recorded some with Chicago legend Steve Albini. While the band’s output only included a pair of 7″‘s and an LP put out after the band’s breakup, the Uncut compilation by Atypeek Music is a great introduction to the band’s virulent strain of American post-punk.
In an interview with the Chicago Tribune from the time period, Fischer explained:
“We try to approach our music using guitar and drum texture as an expressive element. We like to use tempo changes, extreme dynamic changes to create contrast-some people call it on/off music. We try to think of the chords we use and try to really consider the possibilities we have with the instruments we use. We also do some shorter songs that actually work within a pop format. Another thing we’ve been doing is working in odd times and polyrhythms-trying to work in multiple time signatures at one time.”
Uncut includes the 7″ tracks recorded with Albini, “Gag Box” and “Unwind” (Spangled Records), as well as 7″ tracks recorded with Brad Wood (Shrimp Boat) “Spindrift” and “Vacuum” (Homestead Records). Originally released in 1995 on Humble, after the group had disbanded, Uncut is a rerelease of that self-titled collection with the inclusion of “M.E.G.O.,” a track recorded off the radio from Table’s 1992 in-studio performance at Northwestern’s WNUR station.
