Saturday, April 19, 2014

Obscuro! Mixtape #23 - 'Garbage can full of funk 5'

It's been a looonnng time since I did one of these, so, here ya go.

Pretty similar to the other 'garbage can' mixes...lots of murked-out, lo-fi rap. This one's probably a little weirder than the last few, though.



Konrad - 'Evil'

For some reason, this damn album seems to follow me wherever I go! When I was still doing the Obscuro! radio program, a few people would CONSTANTLY request the track 'My Girl,' and now I've got a request for the full album to be posted, so I must oblige. It is a great record, I won't deny it. Somewhere between the DIY minimal synth stuff of the 80's and sci-fi acid casualty, Konrad is a one-man-band who cranks out some of the catchiest tunes you'll ever hear about binary code, matrices, and music scientists (whatever those are.) There is also a spot-on parody of The Police that's about...police.

Also, the guy behind this project is QUITE a character. He claims to have both created the idea behind 'The Matrix' films, and to have sold speakers to Celine Dion. I'm not sure if either is true, but here's hoping.

Konrad - 'Evil'
Tracklist:

1. It's Only a Matrix
2. Music Scientist
3. Don't Want No Police
4. Alien
5. Working Man
6. Keep On Playing That Jazz
7. My Girl Likes to Buy
8. The Man of Mystery
9. Blue Sunrise
10. One Way Motorcycle Ride
11. Seems Like One of Those Days
12. DMZ Bolero
13. People

***LINK REMOVED BY REQUEST***
Preorder the re-release here.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Rockin' Rollin' Blues Band - 'Wild and Untamed'

Here's another one of those random private press LP's that seems to have disappeared from the web. From what I can tell, I got it off the Cosmic Hearse blog a while back, which unfortunately looks like it's dead. Shame, cuz that guy posted some insane stuff.

This record isn't 'insane' per se, but it's pretty strange. Probably, it's a snapshot of a local band recorded in some friend's studio, but it still puts the listener into an interesting moment in time. For one thing, this band seems very 'out of touch' with what was going on (it was apparently released in '73.) In an era dominated by hard rock, these guys/gals were cranking out 50's rockabilly-influenced bar jams. But, a few of the members (specifically the guitarist) are clearly influenced by the hard rock/heavy metal of, say, Deep Purple. So, it's an unusual mix. I might go so far as to call a couple of these cuts 'proto-punk.'

Then there are the vocals. To say that they 'aren't very good' doesn't really do them justice. Sure, they aren't 'technically' good, but they are interesting at the very least. There is a guy and girl, who sometimes sing together, but often take different sections of songs. The girl's voice almost has an operatic quality sometimes, and the guy is a little gruff but mostly smooth. Neither sounds like they give too much of a shit. Judging by the cut-up pictures that serve as the album cover, I'd say these are probably some drugged-out bikers.

I'm also factoring the lyrics into this judgement, because they have this kinda backwoods vibe to them...not like they intentionally wanted to conjure this up but that they couldn't help but pull it into their music.

So, maybe that makes this album a little more 'authentic' blues than a lot of other 70's stuff? I dunno. But, if you like sloppy, trashy blues rock like Janis when she was with Big Brother, then you will probably dig this. The guitarist is really good at least, and a couple of their songs are pretty catchy.

No track names, sorry, apparently they were lost in time.

Rockin' Rollin' Blues Band - 'Wild and Untamed'
DL

Depressive Tongue Posse - 'Beverati' Mixtape

Oh yeah.

This came out a bit ago.

Dig on it.

DTP has another mixtape coming out very soon, and apparently more videos as well. Guest spots include Boy Froot, Dylan Ross, and Faggot (aka Rap Game Bobby Hill)

Depressive Tongue Posse - 'Beverati' Mixtape
Tracklist:

1. Intro/Robbery Tyme
2. Jail
3. Drugs
4. Ride Slow (ft. Dylan Ross)
5. Beverati (ft. Boy Froot/Bitch Shift Mob)
6. Smoke Good (ft. Faggot aka Rap Game Bobby Hill)
7. People Eataz (ft. Boy Froot)
8. Puffin' N Rappin' (ft. Boy Froot)
9. Afterlife
10. Prof Calling Interlude
11. Big Balls
12. I Don't Give a Fuck About You (ft. Phatty Matt Tha Triangle Boi)
13. Divorce/Outro

Produced by DTP members HATE Noize and Grnmo (formerly Goldn Joe). It's free on Bandcamp.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Lewis - 'L'Amour'

This is one of those private press LP's that mostly got re-discovered because of its silly cover. But, that cover, coupled with the strange music within, makes this guy seem almost like a David Lynch character.

The music is fairly subdued...mostly acoustic guitars and odd synthesizers, with Lewis' deep voice overlaid. Someone on RateYourMusic has described it as 'Jandek covering the 'Twin Peaks' theme,' which isn't far off the mark. It's very mellow, but also kind of creepy...slightly amateurish, but also fully realized, which is unique for a vanity release.

I don't really know much else to say about it...it's not entirely 'my thing,' but it's also very unique and interesting to my ears. Maybe you will like it.

Lewis - 'L'Amour'
Tracklist:

1. I Thought the World of You
2. Cool Night in Paris
3. My Whole Life
4. Even Rainbows Turn Blue
5. Like to See You Again
6. Things Just Happen That Way
7. Summer's Moon
8. Let's Fall in Love Tonight
9. Love Showered Me
10. Romance for You

DL

MC Trachiotomy - '...w/Love from Tahiti'

This might be the most insane rap album you ever hear. I'm using the term 'rap' very loosely as well, by the way...there isn't much here that resembles traditional rapping, sampling, or even music.

So, let me at least TRY to describe it in terms that Trach would likely appreciate. Imagine one of those old, cassette-dubbed rap albums that sounds like garbage, and was put together by people who didn't know what they were doing. Samples are chopped up incorrectly, don't line up on time, and the beats are mixed all wack. Then, imagine that the guy doing all this mixed a little too much LSD in with his regular cough syrup and weed, causing him to spit 'verses' that are almost anti-rap. Sometimes he's just grunting, sometimes he's 'crooning' on beat, and every once in a while he spits some fire, but it's almost always buried in distortion and his heavy New Orleans accent.

That should give you some semblance of the tuneage here. It's literally like nothing else. And, considering the dude is a surrealist prankster who has some connection to the Butthole Surfers, it's pretty obvious that this is all intentional.

Some of it is genuinely creepy, while other stuff will just boggle your mind (i.e. a deranged race car sketch set to a lurching sample.) And, of course, some of it is just dope, head-nodding Nawlins rap. DEFINITELY check this stuff out if you thought rap only started getting weird in the last few years.

MC Trachiotomy - '...w/Love from Tahiti'
Tracklist:

1. EKG
2. Form of Gardenias
3. Now Thatcha Droolin'
4. Along Th' Coast
5. South Pacific Weenie Roast
6. Midway Dining
7. Drop Th' Kids Off at the Pool
8. Long to Hold You
9. Bareboat Blessing
10. Stay Awake
11. Fix You Martini
12. Valentine (Instrumental)
13. Palpitations (ft. Bisquittino)
14. S.S. Ssumpn' Sseet
15. Can You Feel It
16. Angle Dust
17. Discover It
18. You're on the Phone
19. Where You Gonna Go
20. Last Thing I Ever Heard (I Never Saw It)

DL

Dennis Weise - 'Valhalla'

Here's another album that seems to have disappeared from the face of the internet. I think I probably got it off the Mutant Sounds blog back in the day (credit where credit's due) but obviously that link is long-gone. So, here ya go.

This is really fucking strange stuff. The first time I heard it, I assumed it was some obscure library release, because it's pretty heavy on the analog synths and soundtrack vibes. But, it's apparently not that...it's a private press release that is intended to be an 'album.' More or less, it's almost like an outsider music version of Faust or something. This guy clearly digs krautrock but the musicianship is amateurish. Songs go nowhere, and often do about-faces for no particular reason.

When it's good, though (as on 'Alien Rock') it is VERY good. A must hear for all fans of 70's private press weirdness, the Residents, or library music. Also, the track subtitled '93rd Current' would seem to indicate that Weise is either a fan of Aleister Crowley, or he has some connection to the group Current 93 (who weren't formed til '82...about 4 years after this record came out)

Dennis Weise - 'Valhalla'
Tracklist:

1. Machine Time Ship
2. Y M Alim-Kader
3. Breathe the Form
4. Alien Rock
5. Hedonic Rapture
6. The Big Apple Mystery
7. The Return of the Akpallus Mutants (Part A)
8. The Return of the Akpallus Mutants (Part B) - 93rd Current
9. Valhalla

DL

Society's Fault 3-28-14

Another one of these thangs...enjoy.



Sunday, April 6, 2014

Films 15 - Bizarro Jerry's trip thru vintage anime OVAs part 1

Haven't done a movie post in a while because I got stuck on weirdo sci-fi anime, which I've never really posted up here. So, if you're into that, here are some of the things I was watching.

'Baoh the Caller' - 1989
This one stuck out as rather strange. Sure, the plot is kinda similar to a lot of other 80's OVAs (people given weird powers by the government/military/corporate giant) but it's done fairly well and it's cheesy in all the right spots. There are also a whole heap of bizarre, unexplained things happening, and a lot of head-exploding goodness. If you haven't seen much anime but want to give this stuff a try (believe me, it's NOTHING like the streamlined shit Adult Swim puts out) this is a pretty good place to start.

'Darkside Blues' - 1994
This isn't like anything else I've seen, really. It is very stylish, and a lot more mysterious/suspenseful than most sci-fi animes. It's definitely not all blood, guts and robots. In fact, the only 'robot' in it turns out to be a regular guy. There is also a demented homeless blues musician, alternate-universe storylines, and a shit ton of surreal imagery. The opening scene is a little graphic, but don't worry, this one is much more tame than some of the stuff out there. It's also by the creator of 'Vampire Hunter D,' so you know it's classy.

'California Crisis' - 1986
I don't know why, but I really like Japan's take on 1980's American pop culture. It's so flawed and insane. They must've thought we did nothing but dance and eat cheeseburgers, and that's pretty much what happens here. This isn't a bloody one, or an 'artistic' film. It's just non-stop 80's action and super-stylish animation. I don't think I've seen anything MORE 80's than this. From what I remember, some guy and girl come into possession of some weird orb and get chased by gangsters for it. It's only 40 minutes, so the generic storytelling doesn't get boring.

'Cyber City Oedo 808' - 1990
This is pretty much the epitome of splat-fi cyberpunk anime. I liked it a lot better than more well-known stuff like 'Appleseed' and 'A.D. Police File,' and while a lot of anime fans seem to hate on English dubs, this one is fucking demented. So much unnecessary swearing! Plus, it's graphically violent, overflowing with creativity, and every one of the three episodes has ex-cons being mean to a C3P0-esque robot.

'Take the X Train' -  1987
When it opened with a dedication to Duke Ellington, I wasn't sure what to expect. But, indeed, this is a jazzy little OVA. It's more like an art-picture than some of the stuff I've posted here, and my only complaint was that the dialog was a little too fast to watch it with subtitles. Unfortunately, there is not an English dub, but oh well. It's an interesting (and also not especially violent or disturbing) story about a guy who works for a railway company that is trying to capture a ghost train. He has some kind of a link with the train, and his nose starts bleeding whenever it comes by. It just gets weirder from there. A lot of stuff happens for no reason. But, if you're into experimental filmmaking, this is worth checking out for sure.

...hopefully I will find time to post a LOT more because I watched like way too many of these things.

Starship Commander Wooooo Wooooo - 'Mastership'

Wow, so many posts today! Here's some insane synth-funk. You might've heard this guy on the awesome 'Personal Space' compilation put out a couple years back by Chocolate Industries. Basically, it's a collection of private press outsider-funk made on old school synths. Most of the artists only put out a single or two, but Mr. Commander had a whole album of this stuff. Don't even remember where I found this one, otherwise I'd pay respect, but suffice to say I can't seem to locate a link to it anywhere. Reminds me of Prince a bit, but if you took all of Prince's most wacked-out tracks and put them on one disc. Or something.

Starship Commander Wooooo Wooooo - 'Mastership'
Tracklist:

1. Get Funky
2. Laugh and Dance
3. Master Ship
4. Hello Hollywood
5. Angie
6. Visions of You
7. Jam on Today

DL

Skatervader - 'C.U.N.T. in the Basement' EP

OOkaayyy, I'm finally digging into the Obscuro! archives to bring you new shit. When I started the blog (a looonnng time ago, apparently) I was getting a lot of random stuff off other blogs, so I didn't re-post other peoples' uploads out of respect. Now, however, most of these source sites are long gone, and so is a lot of this music. So, I'm gonna share some, because why not?

First up is this demented little rap EP from a couple years ago. I don't know much about this guy, except that he has some sort of affiliation with sometimes-Raider Klan oddballs Metro Zu. I DO know that this release SCREAMS 'new hip hop.' For one thing, it's directly influenced by Death Grips (who I can take or leave) and even includes a quote in one song. But, don't worry, it doesn't really sound like them too much other than being loud. It's more like if some teenager tried to recreate the Grips' atmosphere with some shitty freeware beat making program, which is probably exactly what it is. Maybe even a next-generation version of the stuff Death Comet Crew were doing in the 80's. I dunno, it's interesting though, and the rapper ain't all that bad. For what it's worth, I like it a good deal more than Death Grips.

Skatervader - 'C.U.N.T. in the Basement'
Tracklist:

1. Tune In
2. Fuck It
3. In the Basement
4. Brain Fucked
5. The Realm
6. I Don't Give a Shit
7. Dead Pigeons
8. Hell Raiser

DL