|
It’s always nice when two friends go to bed together, even if only for one night. Octopus Project and Black Moth Super Rainbow have been flirting with each other for some time now, and it’s not surprising that they’d give each other a come–hither look: both bands trade in uZiq-like, Sterolab-ish, Neu-descended, vocal-less synth/percussion/guitar soundscapes (danceable ones, at that) that start off slow and swirling and then smack into you like goddamn gold-plated, sugar-coated sledgehammers. The two bands played a few dates together in early ‘06, too, and reportedly tore the house down every time. So, it’s sort of natural that this pair of bouncy, fun-loving electro-popsters would have a few drinks, share a cab, and wind up under the covers together at some point.
And what was the result of their make-out session? A big beautiful bundle of love, that’s what! Of the half-dozen tracks on this thing that are full-on collaborations (the rest are each group performing individually) the first one, “Spiracle,” is the most perfect hybrid: a propulsive mixture of percussion, theremin, synths, bass and guitars that hits you hard, grabs you by the lapels and tosses you around the room, and then makes you beg for more once you recover. “Psychic Swelling,” with its DJ-Shadow-esque drum sound, toy-piano hooks, and throbbing slabs of guitar, is just as mind-blowing. On “Lollipopsichord,” synth-smacks that sound like air-ride sirens (a sound effect that Black Moth also employs to similar effect on their own track, “Marshmallow Window”) trade off with flutes, while the percussion keeps shaking you like a rag doll.
Elsewhere, the tempos relax a bit: on “Foxy and The Weight Of The World,” Octopus Project slow it down and paint a Brian Eno landscape of guitars and piano, while on the collaborative “Tony Face,” both bands swirl together in a pool of aural love that sounds like a cross between Angelo Badalamenti and Aphex Twin.
Now, as it happens, both bands conducted this thing by trading sound files via Yousendit, and never actually met in the studio. But who cares? Isn’t love what collaborations are all about? Two like-minded souls compliment each other perfectly, and then decide to indulge in a little creative fluid-exchange. On House of Apples and Eyeballs, our two friends look across the bar — the internet bar, O.K., fine - spot each other, and get it on. It’s a beautiful thing.
Mp3’s from The House of Apples and Eyeballs:
Spiracle
Lollipopsichord
Websites:
Octopus Project:
www.theoctopusproject.com
Myspace
Black Moth Super Rainbow:
www.blackmothsuperrainbow.com
Myspace
