Caving In

Consider for a moment the acoustics of a cave: vast and echoing but also claustrophobic and airless — a small drip of water reverberating to the ceiling and from the walls. Now, consider the acoustics of the band Cave and you have the latter. The Chicago-based, frequently instrumental group is celebrating the release of Threace, out Oct. 15 on uber-hip record label Drag City.

Threace is a half-planned/half-jammed experiment; the analog recording shows a band in its natural environment. The result was chopped and spliced into the final product — sneak-previewed with lead single “Shikaakwa.” The track loops and drones with touches of ’70s jazz-fusion: the hypnotic and metronomic precision of krautrock meets Herbie Hancock.

Previously, the post-rock of New York art-rockers Battles is revisited with Cave’s 2008 track “Hunt Like Devil” — adding some fuzzed-out ’60s psychedelia to the airtight mix, and featuring the rare appearance of vocals. Soon it all goes loopy with squealing guitars and an overdriven drumline that rattles your fillings, similar to the way a rockslide might sound to a group of spelunkers.

Elsewhere, Cave apes Camaro rock with “Ravens Hash,” riding a classic rock riff until it becomes unrecognizable, submerging it in synthesizers until it’s blue in the face and letting it up at the last minute for air — like the weirdo space-age jam band Cave is.

Cave plays with Eugene’s Lady Paw and JLS 8 pm Sunday, Oct. 13, at the Old Whiteaker Firehouse; $5.