Temper "Navy Blue" 3" CD-R Piehead Records Pie13 (18:23)
Goodmorning (a day at the fair) (3:11)
Pianobox No. 1 (:21)
Full of Stars
(4:28)
Pianobox No. 2 (:25)
Still Dreaming
(2:58)
Pianobox No. 3 (:39)
A Rather Significant Discovery
(3:34)
Please Save Your Applause Until The End, Thank You (2:47)
Piehead's inaugural subscription series passed my quality control standards with flying colors, so there was no need for second thoughts when it came time for ordering this year's. As with 2002, you get a disc by a different artist each month and a compilation with exclusive tracks by all of them in the end. But this time around they're EP length, professionally pressed 3" CD-Rs pouched with pretty Japanese silk-screened paper inserts and limited to 211 copies. Last year I was familiar beforehand with only two of the artists and this year just one (Rapoon) but that's exactly what makes this so much fun! Volume one is by Jack Dangers look-a-like Michael Weak, aka Temper, an early twenty-something Canadian student. The eight tracks that make up "Navy Blue" are remarkably melodic electro/nic ditties that are cute but not to the point of being cutesy. "Goodmorning (a day at the fair)" is sunny and buzz-y as a synthesized voice reminds you that "outside is beautiful" so "why not go out and enjoy it?" The soft bass tones of "Full of Stars" and "Still Dreaming" overwhelm every pair of (cheap ass) speakers and headphones I own, reminding me of Aphex Twin's "Selected Ambient Works 85-92" in the process. "A Rather Significant Discovery" (title derived from a space talk sample) adds a generous sprinkling of pleasant piano melody that shifts the mood of the track some. You gotta love "Please Save Your Applause Until The End, Thank You" just for the smarmy sampled use of - you guessed it - at the end. And three very brief "Pianobox" interludes both break and tie everything up nicely. Strong right out of the gate and I'm not surprised one bit. I'm looking forward to whatever the next 11 happen to bring ...
Where did I get this cd? - mail order via Piehead Records.