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Venetian Snares, "Higgins Ultra Low Track Glue Funk Hits 1972-2006"
Planet µ
I bought this because I loved the "Shitfuckers!" EP (which I admittedlybought just for the name), and also because the description on theSoleilmoon website convinced me that I could not go wrong. They wereright: once you've been hooked by Aaron Funk's madness, there's nogoing back. From the opening kitschy vibe this album just makes youlaugh. And how could you not, with a Julie Andrews-type crooning in"Dance Like You're Selling Nails" over Funk's freakshow drum'n'bassdemolition? Or the high-speed jazzy meanderings in "Banana Seat Girl"that sounds like a cross between Squarepusher and repeatedlyfast-forwarding and rewinding a DAT tape while it's in play mode? Youknow, where you hear clear bits of the music on the tape, but whicheludes you before it whizzes by. One of the highlights of the album iscertainly "Make Ronnie Rocket", which starts modestly enough withinterspersed dubby MC samples over Funk's characteristic bombasticdrum'n'bass beats. But a minute or so into the track, all hell breaksloose as you're given a spoonful of C4 and forced to watch from theinside while your head explodes. This is not music to tap your foot to,or shake your ass to while you try to pick up chicks at the club. It'snot exactly arrhythmic. It's not exactly asymmetrical. It's not exactlymath-geek music. If you just sit and listen to it, preferably withheadphones or loudly in the car while driving down the freeway, it'sperfectly acceptable to just try to follow the grooves and beats withyour mind. More than likely you'll just find yourself chuckling as Mr.Funk throws another curve. Some of the changes are just plainridiculous. Take "Deadman DJ" for example. Once again the dub MCreturns, his one-liner minced and butchered along with the freneticbeats. Midway through the song, it sounds like it's over, but it picksback up with the MC repeating "Deadman DJ" while a sound like theannoying high-pitched whistle sound that you hear in a lot ofmodern-day slow "rap" music whirs in the background. You know what I'mtalking about. So now you've got a rasta MC backed by cheesy rap noisesand absolutely breakneck d-n-b. How can you not laugh out loud? Youmight not even notice it if you weren't listening attentively. I findthat half the fun is trying to figure out what Funk's sound sourceswere, and just what the fuck he was thinking (I like to imagine that helaughs out loud a lot while he composes). Or better yet, try thinkingas you listen about how you would make this music if it were up to you?The beautiful thing about Venetian Snares is that this is truly musicfor the moment.
I bought this because I loved the "Shitfuckers!" EP (which I admittedlybought just for the name), and also because the description on theSoleilmoon website convinced me that I could not go wrong. They wereright: once you've been hooked by Aaron Funk's madness, there's nogoing back. From the opening kitschy vibe this album just makes youlaugh. And how could you not, with a Julie Andrews-type crooning in"Dance Like You're Selling Nails" over Funk's freakshow drum'n'bassdemolition? Or the high-speed jazzy meanderings in "Banana Seat Girl"that sounds like a cross between Squarepusher and repeatedlyfast-forwarding and rewinding a DAT tape while it's in play mode? Youknow, where you hear clear bits of the music on the tape, but whicheludes you before it whizzes by. One of the highlights of the album iscertainly "Make Ronnie Rocket", which starts modestly enough withinterspersed dubby MC samples over Funk's characteristic bombasticdrum'n'bass beats. But a minute or so into the track, all hell breaksloose as you're given a spoonful of C4 and forced to watch from theinside while your head explodes. This is not music to tap your foot to,or shake your ass to while you try to pick up chicks at the club. It'snot exactly arrhythmic. It's not exactly asymmetrical. It's not exactlymath-geek music. If you just sit and listen to it, preferably withheadphones or loudly in the car while driving down the freeway, it'sperfectly acceptable to just try to follow the grooves and beats withyour mind. More than likely you'll just find yourself chuckling as Mr.Funk throws another curve. Some of the changes are just plainridiculous. Take "Deadman DJ" for example. Once again the dub MCreturns, his one-liner minced and butchered along with the freneticbeats. Midway through the song, it sounds like it's over, but it picksback up with the MC repeating "Deadman DJ" while a sound like theannoying high-pitched whistle sound that you hear in a lot ofmodern-day slow "rap" music whirs in the background. You know what I'mtalking about. So now you've got a rasta MC backed by cheesy rap noisesand absolutely breakneck d-n-b. How can you not laugh out loud? Youmight not even notice it if you weren't listening attentively. I findthat half the fun is trying to figure out what Funk's sound sourceswere, and just what the fuck he was thinking (I like to imagine that helaughs out loud a lot while he composes). Or better yet, try thinkingas you listen about how you would make this music if it were up to you?The beautiful thing about Venetian Snares is that this is truly musicfor the moment.
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