How I love the fantastically bizarre! I've always found something very
enticing about a CD (or a CDR, in this case) that arrives in minimal
packaging, like Kohoutek's purple construction paper, with badly drawn figures on the
cover that give absolutely no indication of what sort of music awaits the listener's curious ears. Sometimes what starts as enticing for me winds up as a disappointment from the moment the first note is played, but at other times I've nearly been overwhelmed with delight. Thankfully, the latter applies here.
Celesteville is basically the handiwork of a guy named Jake Anderson. Jake likes to
experiment. The random feedback, distorted vocals and zillion sound
effects, including one that sounds like an in-use pogo stick being recorded
in a well (see "Avoid"), give a clear picture of a guy trapped in obscurity and dying to get out. You should hope that he does.
One of the disc's strangest pieces -- and believe me, there are many to choose from -- is a cover
of Godley & Creme's semi-obscure eighties hit, "Cry". The vocals, though similar to those of the original
version, have a fading, far-off quality, while nearly indefinable
instruments (or household items used as instruments) take precedence. At one
point it sounds as if Jake is banging on a water-heater. On "5 In 1", the
music takes a dark turn, contrasted by the lyrics, which paint a picture
of the song's protagonist traveling toward a vague concept of hope. Another highlight is "Victoria
II", which uses chilling chimes to create the most eerie of soundscapes. If you need more to be
convinced, the Sonic Youth-like drone of "Four Doors" should do the trick.
Kohoutek certainly ranks as one of the best of the many hand-packaged discs I've received. Don't let its low budget qualities keep you from seeking this particular disc out -- you'd certainly be missing something special. As an added incentive, you can order Kohoutek from
Tape Mountain's website for a mere two bucks and change. I'm not sure if that makes good ol' Jake insane or just extremely generous, but I'd recommend taking advantage of his offer before he comes to his senses.
