I received a mysterious little package in my mailbox the other day, addressed from psych/electronic super dude Mr.Dylan Ettinger.I didn't really know what to expect from him, other than some kind of bizarre cassette tape.I opened it up and removed it's contents, and sure enough, I pull out a tape with a dream-inducing (or nightmare) image of Luke Perry with some colorful psychedelic images surrounding him.Naturally,I inspect the packaging to see what kind of goodies are inside.A hot pink tape with a sticker containing a black and white image on it.That image is none other than a scene from The Simpsons episode that Luke Perry was in.Nice.I popped the tape in my player,took a seat, and anxiously waited for the fun to begin.
Almost immediately, the speakers started to pour out a glowing, neon pink and green colored ooze that reeked of 90's TV nostalgia.Blazing guitar shred,new wave synth arpeggios,and boppin' drum machines by the truckload.Parts of this sounds like scenes from Saved By The Bell, when "the gang" enters The Max.Images of nerds playing video games, and jocks sitting with their chairs turned around started to flash in my mind.As things moved forward, a more diverse,even psychedelic tone sets in.Washes of delayed surf guitars fade in and out, and some heavily treated 90210,and other television show samples bounce around a bit.It all seems to work somehow,and it held my attention right to the end. The instrumentation, though somewhat humorous up front, is actually well played and the songs are structured quite nicely.They are really catchy jams,and I wish that they were just a tiny bit longer.
At some point throughout side A, you will come across a disturbingly perfect cover of the Beverly Hills"90210 theme song.Complete with keyboard-sax solo.Much respect to this dude for accuracy.Overall a totally fun and somewhat interesting listen.Worth the 5 bucks it costs from El Tule for sure.He's got a split cassette with the awesome Twins called "Guts".You can pick that up
from Peace Age for 5 bucks as well.HEAVY on the 90's retro tip,but when it comes to the music..solid electro-psych-pop bliss.h
Hit up El Tule for a copy,and more awesome tapes.
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