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Cobra Killer & Kapajkos, "Das Mandolinenorchester"
Always the serrated disco ball in the Digital Hardcore scene, Cobra Killer return with a bonkers album that walks the line between inspiration and the ridiculous. Gone are all the vocal effects and samplers and replacing them is Kapajkos, a mandolin orchestra.
Kapajkos work well with Cobra Killer's oddball, cartoon sound. Togetherthey have gone through the Cobra Killer back catalogue and havere-recorded their favorite tracks. Allof the songs are instantly recognizable yet sound completely differentto the original versions. Every element of these songs have beenreassembled using acoustic instruments, bringing more life andcharacter into them. Kapajkos have managed to get into the groove of thesongs and recreate all the blips and pings with a high degree offidelity. Songs like "Heavy Rotation" and "High is the Pine" suit thisstyle more than their original electronic versions.
Das Mandolinenorchester on one hand is kitsch andflamboyant and on the other hand it is incredibly catchy and elegant.Kapajkos bring an intricacy to the songs that (as good as they are) theoriginals lack. The folky eastern European music makes the lyrics soundeven more bizarre,especially the chant of "Helicopter! U.S. Navy! 666! Hey! Hey! Hey!" on“Helicopter 666”or the cautionary tale in "H-Man-And-Psychocat" of yourcat pissing all over the place as soon as you leave the house. Thisisn’t a fault by any means. I thought it madethe entire experience far more entertaining to hear these mad, childishlyrics being sung over duelling mandolins. The music is playful but also very grownup. This album injects some new life into Cobra Killer’s music whichwas in danger of becoming self-parody and formulaic.
Das Mandolinenorchester does not hang around long as it's onlyabout forty minutes long, any longer and the album mighthave gotten tedious but luckily Cobra Killer and Kapajkos have beenselective in compiling this album. It works well as an overviewof Cobra Killer's seven year career. They have released three good (butsomewhat samey) albums and a few singles and EPs on Alec Empire's DHRand Gudrun Gut's Monika label, both Berlin-based, which, unfortunately,has limited their fanbase.
Das Mandolinenorchesterlets a newcomer get into their weird world while offering a freshlisten for those familiar with the songs. Although two versions of“Mund auf augen zu” is a bit de trop but that’s a minor complaint at worst. Das Mandolinenorchester has renewed my interest in Cobra Killer and I’m looking forward to seeing what they do next.
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