GELATIN KIDS c10SKY STADIUM / POTIONS split c40(Lillerne Tapes)

A really good, but dangerously short keyboard based downer pop tape by Gelatin Kids. Sometimes this kind of music works and sometimes it leaves me bored, but in this case it really works. I like the two songs with vocals on the A-side. They take a kind of Thurston-esque songwriting approach (misty, nostalgic, deadpan) but substitute the howling open tuned guitars for very "of the moment" Casio tones and beats. The instrumental on the B-side doesn't interest me as much, but based on the strength of the other two tracks, I would say this is definitely a winner. Please make more of these gelatinous children for me to consume.

This is the second time I've reviewed Sky Stadium's music and I just have to say, I'm not terribly moved by it. Same goes for the B-side of this split, which features music by another solo artist who goes by the name Potions. There are so many people making ambient synthesizer drone these days that I find it really hard to gush over one tape or another. There are some clear standout artists who perk up my ears for one reason or another (for the most recent example, check out the review right below this one), but I just can't find anything here to differentiate this from so many other tapes I receive. Maybe the problem is that I have to listen to too much of this kind of stuff? What we have here is very mellow, sometimes rhythmic and completely unoffensive, but to me it lacks any particularly unique aspects that would make me proclaim, "ah, the Sky Stadium sound" or "this must be Potions." I don't feel like I'm asking too much of an artist to show me at least just one little something new, and until that starts happening on a more regular basis, I'm probably not going to get behind about half of the keyboard based music I hear.

Just my $.02. You, on the other hand, might feel entirely different, and that my friends is why we are each separate humanoid entities.

Buy tapes and listen on the Lillerne website.

ALTO JEFFRO "Echo Together" c35SKY STADIUM "Ancient" c20(Lave Church Records)

I got two cassettes from Lava Church about a month back. The label is based out of Sarasota Florida and you can get all five of their releases for only $13.50. Now that's a good fucking deal. The tapes come come on with double sided color cardboard j-cards and an 80s "Super Stars" trading card. http://lavachurch.blogspot.com/

First up is Alto Jeffro "Echo Together" c35. I like this one quite a bit. Alto Jeffro is a duo from what is described as the "arctic woodlands of Massachusetts." They are a duo and they sure do echo together. Despite some of the tape's computerized Ariel Pinkisms, the proceedings are generally tuneful and enjoyable. Mostly keyboard and drum machine pop with echo on pretty much everything. There's a ukulele on one track, but no guitar that I can detect. Can't really understand the lyrics, but it seems like these boys are having a good time. You probably will too.

Next we have Sky Stadium "Ancient" c20. Sounds like what you might expect a band called Sky Stadium to sound like. What's that? You expect it to sound like a bunch of football hooligans whose idiotic screams are only hampered by the lack of oxygen in their mile high sports venue? Well you're way wrong! Vangelis is cool again (or maybe cool for the first time). This tape sounds like the opening of Blade Runner for 20 minutes. No beats of any kind, just the sound that dolphins make as they fly through space. It's okay.