[splendid reviews]
 C O V E R R E V I E W
tally ho!
Luke Vibert's an odd animal, and his latest release as Wagon Christ reflects that oddness. "Fly Swat" makes the distinction immediately -- there's something about the warped grandeur of its central piano loop that separates Vibert from the pack. Likewise the initial carnival-style frenzy of "Crazy Disco Party", or the solid-state lounge futurism of the title track -- there's an aesthetic at work here that recycles potentially generic drum'n'bass and breakbeat music into something airy, refreshing and unique. The melodies are light, almost silly (though not in a novelty-record way), but with an underlying strangeness that borders on menace. There's also absurdity -- "Juicy Luke Vibert", for instance, is an attempt to seduce the listener that's compromised by massively crunchy waves of interference, with the more risque moments censored by unexpected blips, bleeps and braps. "Piano Playa Hata" sounds like an avant-garde piano composition (of the sort we're always reviewing here at Splendid) forcibly married to a rollicking beat, while "Rendleshack" is drum'n'bass as created by Tom and Jerry -- bulging with sonic snapshots of violence, silliness and action. If nothing else, Tally Ho! should restore your belief that electronic music can be fun and lighthearted without straying into novelty song turf.
 I N F O
Wagon Christ
Tally Ho!
Astralwerks
CD
hear it
order from music blvd Review by George Zahora


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