Luke Vibert is, to say the least, a strange person. He is every bit as
quirky, talented and downright weird as his infamous Cornwall classmates
Aphex Twin and µ-Ziq. He also shares their penchant for pseudonyms.
Over the years, he has released frantic drum 'n' bass as
Plug, future-leaning techno under his own name and whimsical
electronic soundscapes under the alias of Wagon Christ. Musipal is
Vibert’s second full-length release as Wagon Christ, and follows hot
on the heels of 2000’s Stop the Panic, his critically acclaimed
collaboration (under his own name) with pedal steel guitarist B.J. Cole.
Unfortunately, while Musipal is good, it's just not as good as...well, as good as it
should be -- which is rather puzzling, as all of Vibert’s
trademark elements are in place. It's easy to spot his creative use of cut-and-paste
sampling ("The Premise"), moody and twinkling layers of synths
("Tomach") and raspy vocodered vocals sliding over disfigured beats and
breaks ("It Is Always Now, All of It Is Now)... but somehow, these elements
never manage to gel. There's none of the cohesive spark that made Tally Ho! such a
triumphant affair.
When Vibert is good, he’s blinding -- as the stuttering breaks and
funky demeanor of "Cris Chana", as well as the positively John
Barry-esque "Perkission", will certainly attest. Regrettably, when he’s
off he couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. "Thick Stew" and "Boney
L" are full-blown electro flops, filled with cookie-cutter beats and
unimaginative programming.
For all its technical precision and
glimpses of Vibert’s past creativity, what eventually comes to dog
Musipal is its marathon duration. Clocking in at well over an hour, the
album tends to drag its heels, especially at its midpoint, leaving the
listener restless -- and leading me to believe that the record would have
been well served by a bit of streamlining.
All praise and criticism aside, Musipal is an interesting and worthy
album by one of the most eclectic electronic artists in recent
memory. But it could have -- should have -- been much better.
