Cassette Review: Bending "Curls"

$5 //
https://bendingmusic.bandcamp.com/album/curls //
🎧 //

If your first thought when seeing the name Bending doesn't take you to Futurama then I'm afraid we cannot be friends.   That's right- Bender's middle name is Bending.   Bender Bending Rodriguez.   And when he reveals that on an episode of Futurama it is one of those moments I'll never forget.    My mind immediately jumps back there as soon as I see the name Bending here and yours should too. 

"Curls" begins with quiet, ambient synth which comes through like a calm ocean.   A little bit of this rattling, like a guitar jangle, follows as it picks up in volume but not speed.   We are still just floating, drifting.   The next song comes through with an ambient sound droning behind this sharper yet softer whistle.   There is also this vocal sound as if someone is about to speak but then is quickly cut off.    There are some electronics in here now as well, but it still has this overall relaxing feel to it and somehow remains minimal.    Much of what could be considered to make this anything other than ambient sees itself out and this takes on a tone of total relaxation.

Organ type tones come through next in a way which one might use for the radio frequency changing as they cut through in pieces.    Uplifting ohms come through in waves and have this slow alarm sound to them.    Electronic beeping can also be found in here as well.  In between my apartment and the next there exists a hallway with stairs and there is  smoke detector in there (I believe) which is dying and has been slowly beeping so the faint sound of it fits in well with this part of "Curls".    If that smoke dectector could talk it would DM artists on Twitter like "Yo, collab?"

Accordion type sounds bring about what sounds like crying but I'm sure is not being made by human voice.    It's this glowing yet sad song.     This eventually fades out and we're flipping to the next side.   A humming sort of buzzing comes through as if it is trying to speak words but I can't quite make them out.    This drones like organs.     As it continues to ring out an acoustic guitar can be heard strumming through the beauty of it all.    Electronic shots are fired now, somewhat to sound like glitching but also like a pinball machine in general perhaps.    This begins to sound like an all out space war.    It appears as if the song glitches itself out, but then this guitar melody like a walking western comes in.

Static as if radio stations are changing makes way for these sounds which feel like ducks quacking.    This eventually sounds like someone trying to talk through the static.  It ends in an ambient and relaxing way, which has really been the story for this cassette.   While it had its moments of getting louder, it primarily maintained a quieter tone, more relaxing and while that might be only the correct word to describe it a part of the time I'd say it is even more reflexive.    You might find this one to be too loud at times, but I enjoy putting it on and just feeling at peace.