OPM: Cabaret of the Bizarre

Luka Prinčič – DRAGX̶FUNK

A wild, eclectic and accomplished album that strides confidently thru genre after genre to deliver a delightful set of weird showtunes, skewed pop and electric dance music. The album opens with accurately named “Just Start the Funk” before pivoting quickly to electro cabaret pop for a song. From there it just gets wilder, covering a couple languages and at least a dozen genres. 

One minute we’re spotlighting neon-lit public sex with a horny, glittery, electro-meets-New Romantic house banger, the next minute we’re transforming birdsong into a melody over some snappy breaks until it comes into shape as a spiffy little IDM workout. And all of it is beautifully produced, with rich timbres and ear-popping presence. All that and a cover of Talking Heads “Heaven”? A delight, from start to finish.

(Listened to the entire album)

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LeFay.EXE – f a d i n g n i g h t f a l l

Atmospheric and airy set of tunes derived from dubstep, jungle and ambient DNA. In a lot of ways this feels like an old-school racing/extreme sport videogame jungle soundtrack pushed into even more atmospheric/laidback territory – that same vibe, but at somewhat slower tempos and with even more open, spacious arrangements. 

There’s also a quick foray into a similar vibey brand of techno in case you like your beats four-on-the-floor, and a bit of pure, jazz-kissed downtempo as well. Despite the abundance of roots in genres that are typically heavy, aggressive, even angry, this album is none of that. Instead, we get similar musical tropes, but arranged and produced in a way that’s kinder, gentler and generally more chilled out. Interesting stuff.

(Listened to the entire album)

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The Creekside Ruffians – “Me and the Pod”

It’s a garage rock anthem about those orcas that like to sink yachts – what else do you need to know? Like the best (and worst, for that matter) garage rockers, this one is lo-fi, high energy and borderline shambolic. 

It opens with a big guitar riff; closes on a shout, a 30-second vamp and a drum fill; and ably celebrates those heroic, billionaire-hating sea mammals along the way. Who knew orcas and garage rock would make such concomitant companions?

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Samantha Jane Smith – “Ptchnply”

A dark, slow-rolling drone ambient track that sounds like a perfect soundtrack to a dystopian sci-fi film scene. You know the scene, right? Where they’re sneaking around the junkyard/boiler room/power plant, looking for the monster? 

And the tension ratchets and then decompresses, because we don’t get a jump scare this time, just a glimpse and a clue left behind? Yeah, like that. Wonderful drone tones, lots of dark atmosphere and excellent use of tension help make the grade here.

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A Hired State – Feeding Cycles VII

A typically wild and unpredictable trip thru the wonders of no-input mixing and feedback patching. If you aren’t familiar with the approach, it basically abuses the noisefloor of a cheap mixer and the wonders of feedback into a witch’s cauldron of screaming distortion, chewy noise and insane oscillations. 

And that’s what you’ll find here – four tracks, ranging from four to fifteen minutes each, exploring the alien timbres and screeching chaos of no-input mixing! Gurgles, screeches, shudders, whines and wobbles abound. It gets loud. It gets uncomfortable. It gets out of hand. And that’s the point! Definitely worth a listen for no-input vets and the noise-curious alike.

(Listened to the entire album)