Scenic

Guitarist Bruce Licher launched Scenic after Savage Republic disbanded, assembling a trio that produces moody, at times doomy instrumentals built around guitar and steeped in Middle-Eastern textures. Brock Wirtz handles drums while bassist James Brenner, previously of Shiva Burlesque, completes the lineup, which confines itself exclusively to wordless pieces. Their first release, the 1995 album Incident at Cima, shifted the post-punk raga-rock approach of Savage Republic toward softer, more tuneful terrain. Traces of that post-punk foundation persist, yet the prominent roles given to Ennio Morricone’s cinematic style and southwest border music stand out clearly, mirroring Licher’s move to Arizona through vivid desert imagery across Incident at Cima, Aquatica, and the 1996 set Sage. Activity remained sparse for several years afterward aside from one live recording, until the limited-edition Spheres EP appeared in 2000 containing a fresh track alongside two demos. Although expectations of a full album quickly followed, three more years passed before The Acid Gospel Experience surfaced as an expansive instrumental set that drew on Bollywood soundtracks and psychedelic rock.