CASSETTE REVIEW: Velvet Glacier “Altered VHS Memories”

http://velvetglacier.bandcamp.com/album/altered-vhs-memories 

             What is a Velvet Glacier?  Glaciers are usually made of ice.  There was a wrestler in WCW known as Glacier and he looked like a Mortal Kombat character.   Does this have something to do with him wearing velvet, being part of the Velvet Underground or otherwise?  I'm not certain, and perhaps no one can say except its creator, but I'm digging the “Altered VHS Memories”.

            One thing people take for granted about VHS is the same as cassettes- they're both tough.   Several years ago, I went into a deep fascination with movies to the point where I almost became obsessed, and yes., much like with music I chose to seek out movies on VHS.   I do still own a collection of films available on VHS but not any other medium.

            The steady beats, loops and ghost cries that I hear on this cassette by Velvet Glacier remind me of that movie “Memento”, but only if it was crossed over with “The Ring”.  Imagine your thoughts, your memories and all that goes on within the mechanics of your brain as something tangible that could be manipulated the way a VHS tape can be recorded over.

            Now imagine that those very same brainwaves are being lifted from within your head, dissected and placed at the whim of someone else onto a blank VHS tape.  That is the musical act that Velvet Glacier is committing here, and in some ways I feel as if my mind will never be the same after heasring this.   So pop on your headphones, put your earbuds in or however you listen to your Walkman and prepare to be taken for a ride.