http://www.discogs.com/Mike-Rich-Mike-Rich/release/9206
A recent vinyl find picked up yesterday in Notting Hill Gate, always wanted to stumble across this in a record shop (mostly due to the cover) and very glad I did. Firstly, Who doesn't like Downfall, right? that was one damn fine game and a favorite of my lonely childhood mostly because things fell and party because it was also it was technically possible to play against yourself if you could manage Orwellian double think against yourself (like all the best games are). The tick-list for your average R James release are there: faces on the front cover, check. sinister grins, check. wacky humour, check. stupid name, check. crazy track names, double check! This is a fun record and being a Synth fan I still an't get over the double innuendo of the title. Not many people can qualify but I think these two (who need very little introduction - so I wont) have probably earnt it.
The music is understandable as wacky as the cover, feeling almost, but not quite, entirely unlike a rave pop jazz funked up drunken romp of dance hiphopjazz splurge waltz samba oompa futurism in most places. Its a little disconcerting and repetitive in parts but retains enough movement between themes to be overall very unique and playful. It is almost exactly as I would imagine further work of AddNtoX to sound if someone had done a techno remix of Avant Hard (another classic album) - odd, unnerving but strangely rewarding and musically enjoyable with lot's to explore. Probably pretty unique amongst most my records and bound to get many listens. It seems Mr Ziqs early collabs tended to sound like techno rip-offs of earlier groups (without tending to sound harsh, I mean this in the best possible way) as the first album collab with SpeedyJ, which I also have (Slag Boom Van Loon - http://www.discogs.com/Slag-Boom-Van-Loon-Slag-Boom-Van-Loon/release/21647) sounds very much like a future techno Residents album (http://www.discogs.com/artist/6708-Residents-The), just as un-nerving but not as wacky.. especially compared to the screaming bunny-boy strobe torment which is residents live.) Sounds here include, jazz fanfares, oompa loops, burps, cats, whistles and wacky incoherent synth buzzes as expected, but I must admit there is a lovely lush pad towards the end of the first track Mr. Frosty that would bring this work into the realm of the much sought after and wonderful earlier "IDM" of this entourages output. Highlights i would say are Mr. frosty, the sound of beady eyes and Eggy toast, with overall the album losing it's way a little in the middle depending on how jazz-funk you happen to like things. This was almost certainly an album where one rang the other and said, "hey want to get trashed this evening in my home studio and whack out a masterpiece."... "I'll get the Russian standard and some pop tarts" came the reply, and the rest was history!
Mr. Frosty
Reg
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