Thursday, May 7, 2015

Cassette Review: Public Morbidity "Mes Souvenirs Sont Des Débris Cachés" (Palinopsia Recordings)


[$5 AUD // Edition of 30 // https://palinopsiarecordings.bandcamp.com/album/mes-souvenirs-sont-des-d-bris-cach-s]

If the idea of Public Morbidity doesn't make you think of public nudity then you need to rethink your existence.    It's kind of funny though, because as much as this name just screams out "being fat in public!" all I can think of when I see it is about those people who are so far overweight that they can't even leave their houses.   Remember when they used to have those talk shows and they'd have to bring the people out with cranes or whatever and take off part of their house?  Crazy times, but they only seem to ever get crazier.

Distortion and static kick things right off.   Little laser gun shots come in next and it is some sort of battle.   Eerie strings bring forth a sound of Star War which takes my war thoughts to space.  (Mainly the final battle scene in "Star Wars", which I coincidentally watched not that many days ago)  There are R2D2 scrambles and then sonar beeps come into it all now as well.   The sounds begin to remind me of car horns though I know they're not and then it turns into full on electronic morse code transmission, though those elements of R2D2 remain.    Little bubbles pop underwater as it gets sharper.

You know how I can tell that something I'm thinking about a cassette is correct?   When my three year old proves it to me.   Forget about all of the questions about the future of my son, listening to the music I review and how it might impact him as he is older (I remember listening to Michael Jackson and radio songs growing up), but at one point during this all he came over and told me he heard R2D2 (he LOVES R2D2).    So I know there is probably some program on some computer music based idea somewhere that creates these beeps, but if not from the mouth of a three year old then what will make you believe in the R2D2?  (Unless there really is an R2D2 program out there for music that works like Gameboys for 8bit music)

Sharp, modem sounds that also resemble bells ringing end the first side and yet the modem static remains harsh when Side B begins as well.   The bells are still present and the R2D2 sounds are too.    Through choppy static waves the sounds begin to swirl.    Static bursts and squeals take us into harsh electronics.   Little beeps have the sounds of record scratches and grinding gears begin to give way to whirrs and beeps.    It is a true orchestra of droids and assorted robots showing what makes them who they are or possibly just singing.

When I first watched the original "Star Wars" movies, I never really though about there being an entire planet of Wookiees.   I'm not sure why, I just never did.   But then when you think of R2D2 and how there are other droids that resemble him in different colors, and he has his own language that obviously C3PO can speak, is there a planet of R2D2 type of droids out there?   Or perhaps a planet of just droids?   If so, this cassette by Public Morbidity could serve as a soundtrack to it, a piece of a music sent from there to here for our consideration.   If this droid planet does exist though, I certainly would want to visit it so long as it was friendly.







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