Cassette Review: I LOVE 69 POPGEJU / Piča z hoven "LIDUMIL HERETIK"

[€4 // Edition of 100 // https://ilove69popgeju.bandcamp.com/album/lidumil-heretik]

In the Bandcamp description, I LOVE 69 POPGEJU is also called "I Love 69 Popgejů" while Piča z hoven is referred to as this symbol: "◊►≈".   However, it does just seem easiest (at least in terms of writing about this cassette) to stick with the names most frequently used for them, as they appear both at the top of the Bandcamp page and also on the track by track listing about halfway through the page.    The only other note I need make from the Bandcamp page is that it would appear as if Side A is by I LOVE 69 POPGEJU and is called "LIDUMIL", while Side B is by Piča z hoven and is called "HERETIK", so the title is actually split for each side/artist.

I LOVE 69 POPGEJU begins with an ambient sort of beeping and then there are these Stabbing Westward sort of bass beats behind it.    There is singing and this combination, even at this stage, is something unlike anything I've ever heard before so I really have no point of comparison for it and that is a good thing.    Through crickets and lasers there are electronic beats which begin to bring out the 8bit new wave feel.    It's part dance, part club and in some ways also has that pop sound like something on the radio.    Through some "Beverly Hills Cop" type of synth, this piece comes to an end when static waves go crashing.

On the flip side we have Piča z hoven who is electronic with frequency whirrs.   There are vocals and for some reason my first thought is that if Gogol Bordello is gypsy punk then I would call Piča z hoven gypsy electro.    Bliss tones come out and then the darker static comes through as well, all the while leaving melodic hooks for you to get these songs stuck in your head.   It's trance dance and just overall rather electronic on its many levels, though I still prefer to think of it simply as gypsy electro and now want everyone to simply hear it and make that a thing.

What I like most about this cassette is that both of these artists offer up two different, yet similar, styles of music that come through in a way I haven't really heard done before.   It's not just an original blend but it is simply good.    The two artists can seemingly share these traits of electronic music and they make you want to dance, and yet in some ways they really don't sound similar at all, as they each bring their own unique voice to the instrument (or even just the vocals themselves)

So for me, the only way (and the best way) that I can describe this is to go back to one of my favorite mediums--comic books.    Imagine your favorite comic book character.  Let's say Batman.   Now imagine reading comic books about Batman by your favorite author, let's say Frank Miller.    And then imagine that you can also read comic books about Batman by another of your favorite authors, Jeph Loeb.    Two different authors, both of whom you love the writing of, and they're connected by Batman.    That's how I think of this cassette.