From the initial keystrokes of Bablicon's A Flat Inside a Fog, the Cat That Was a Dog, it's obvious that the album represents a new direction for the Chicago-based trio. Conceived as a double album , their third effort is an epic construction unlike any the group has created previous. Recorded on 16 tracks at Chicago's Truckstop Audio, A Flat is distinctly "higher fi" than both of its Misra predecessors, In A Different City and The Orange Tapered Moon. Bablicon's progress reveals itself not simply through truer sonic quality, but also by the dense and wide-ranging composition on the album.

Prior Bablicon albums paired improvisation with loosely structured songs, but A Flat was meticulously composed beforehand. With a heavier emphasis on piano-based composition, the band displays newfound virtuosity and tunefulness, bathed in live electronics and improv sizzle. Their multi-faceted barrage of sound touches on contemporary classical and jazz, as well as electronic music and avant-rock. On some of their most caffeinated numbers to date, Bablicon forges a whole new path.

The massive recording represents five years of work. In 1999, Bablicon released the noisy and fractured In A Different City, toured the U.S. and Europe, and reconvened in Chicago to make The Orange Tapered Moon. Bablicon played several subsequent tours of the U.S. and Europe, including one with surrealist labelmates Volcano the Bear. Extensive roadwork let the group solidify the material on A Flat, which became a fluid and complete concept before hitting the studio.

Epic in every sense of the word, A Flat is Bablicon's most sprawling and diverse recording, but retains more focus than anything the band has ever done. A Flat Inside a Fog, the Cat That Was a Dog is easily Bablicon's their most complete work to date.

Since releasing this monstrosity, the three members have taken a bit of a break from Bablicon. Drummer Marta Tennae is preparing a solo release for Cloud Recordings that touches on a wide range of folk and avant-garde influences. Recorded primarily in the garage in Saumur, France, this recording is a stunner. Marta Tennae is also involved in the mysterious Guignol project, a collaborative effort with members of Volcano the Bear that is slated for release in the fall of 2002. Blue Hawaii has also been hard at work on a solo recording, as well as recording numerous bands at Truckstop Audio and performing / touring with Orso, Him and Fruit Bats. The Diminisher has been equally busy, spending time studying in China, as well as constantly composing new pieces and performing with a number of musicians.