Like trying to ingest a live jaguar in one sitting, it’s a daunting
process to digest the recorded finery (see what I did there?) of artists as
compelling as Mukqs and DJWWWW, especially when they combine their intense powers
for a split release. Mind you, it’s not difficult
– especially if you don’t mind a few deep scratch marks on your face (visible
scars are a sign of strength and toughness, at least according to all the 1980s
action films I watch on repeat) – but you certainly have to buckle yourself in
before embarking. At least cassette tapes aren’t as violently squirmy as
pissed-off jaguars, otherwise I wouldn’t have much of this beautiful face left.
At least this split is as satisfying, psychologically, as a belly stuffed with jaguar
would be.
I digress, of course. But I’m not fooling you when I commend this
release for filling itself to the absolute brim with exciting and strange and
unique compositions. I cannot be more serious when I say “my cup runneth over”
with remarkable blessings of musical enlightenment! And hey, you know the
players, the ones whose miracle tunes invade your ears on a daily basis: Mukqs
has his whole Hausu Mountain/Good Willsmith thing going,
while DJWWWW is just … well, DJ-goddamned-WWWW, or at least an alias of DJWWWW.
Both are rightly celebrated for doing their
experimental-electronic-improv-loopy thing better than mostly everybody else on
the planet, and that’s the kind of thing that gets you called up to the
big-league labels like Orange Milk, Umor Rex, and Phinery. Gotta have your
A-game working to have any sort of sustained success.
Mukqs is the master at live manipulations of loops and tapes, and his
side is a great example of synthetic world-building at a macro level. Nothing
is reserved, every second is conjured via magic spells from the dust of
tangible sound sources, woven via molecular interpretation. Each element bleeds
into the next, wavering melodies emerge from the mix and quickly submerge, only
to be replaced by something equally as interesting. Can you poke at magic with
a stick or examine it under a microscope? That’s the beauty of a Mukqs joint –
even if you do, even if you uncover the mechanisms beneath the hood, it’s still
magic in the end.
Japanese producer DJWWWW, on the other hand, is a much more tactile
explorer, a mad scientist ratcheting up his sonic output to cartoon-like
levels. Each track points east and fidgets with its subject material, like
Hikari No Wa, “Ramen Power,” and the Tokyo metro system, taking elements of
each physical object, person, or location and flinging them into Cuisinart of
beats and pulses for maximum pulpage. The result is not dissimilar to that envisioned
by Mukqs, but with a decidedly different flavor. If DJWWWW is like a poppier
Foodman – if something like that exists, or is possible, or is not even a
paradox – then Mukqs is a tape manipulator’s Pink Floyd, and that’s probable
even without the admittedly hamfisted comparison.
So take that jaguar out of your mouth, brush off the saliva, pat it on
the head, give it something to gnaw, and focus instead on this fabulous split.
You’ll be doing yourself and animal lovers everywhere a favor, and you’ll be
able to direct your energy to a more appropriate place.
--Ryan Masteller
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