CASSETTE REVIEW: Ecstatic Cosmic Union “X = C = U” (Elderdown Records)

                When you listen to enough tapes, you tend to find that the two musical genres that seem to foster cassettes the most are either lo-fi rock type music or experimental instrumental music.   Of the two, this is the experimental instrumental type, which I think really needs a shorter name.  (E/I, ExIn or ExpInt are all okay with me)

                The Ecstatic Cosmic Union, or XCU as their album title suggests, are a trippy band made up of loops, almost lasers and the wahh wahh guitar noise.   No doubt this is the type of music that cassette tapes were brought back for and clearly anyone with a genuine cassette collection would have this in theirs.

                One thing that I do find funny about this band though is their name, and what their name becomes based upon their album title.   The name itself is easy enough to tie to this E/I music, but when it’s shortened to three letters and you want to bring it back out it wants to become “Ex See You”, which kind of makes me think of some guy spying on his former girlfriend.

                Granted, this has more of that space quality to it that some people just won’t get and is not intended for the masses as opposed to, say, voyeurism.