Music Review #5: Witch Hammer Reflux by Bedtime for Robots
Black Box Recordings are a new net label launched in June this year and have so far released three albums. Witch Hammer Reflux by Bedtime for Robots is their first release. I shall post reviews of the other two recordings, 'Scheisse Kunst' by the League of Morons and White Shadows Dancing by various artists, later.
If one follows Bedtime for Robots, and you should, then it comes as no surprise that the music is unconventional, twisted, often dark but always with a joyfulness about it and is often playful. Michael Ferentino, the rather large brain behind Bedtime for Robots always uses sound and structure in interesting ways. This album is no different.
This album contained snippets from most genres and weaves them in and out of each other in a masterful way. There are some nice repetitive moments, such as on the track Cloud Hole which lull you into a false sense of tranquillity before the beat comes in and you are jolted awake (in a good way). There are tracks which start off sounding like old computer game music, like Big Daddy, The are hints and nods, whether consciously or not, to different eras of electronic music, at least that's the impression I got. On the track Sheepmuch there is a a lovely simple sequencer line which reminded me of 1970s Vangelis, although the music is very much Michael's.
The music on this album ranges from the frenetic - No Race springs to mind, which is a BBR exclusive and a bonus track to boot so you'll have to buy the album to find out what it sounds like - to the eerie: Spanking Ouija, taking in drone (The Witch House, which is another bonus track and a nine-minute extravaganza. Buy it!), dance, and all manner of other styles. But this album is no pastiche as Michael wears his influences lightly and forges his own musical voice and style.
There are twenty tracks on the album which includes five bonus tracks, five remixes and five exclusive tracks (the bonus and exclusive tracks in some cases being one and the same). The last track is a taster for a forthcoming Bedtime for Robots release which is going to be a double album and will be announced later in the year.
My favourite track on the album is Wicked Horse with it's pounding drum and an air of unease about it - there's definitely something unsettling going on here.
The five remixes are done by Crawlform, Frankie Machina, Mangabros, Plainastralchurch and myself. Remixes are always interesting to listen to (and to do) since the original composer is trusting their creations to another persons interpretation and musical style which may be radically different from their own. The results are often unexpected and always fascinating and, hopefully, a delight. That's certainly the case with the five remixes on this album.
This is a fun album to listen to which will challenge preconceived notions of how certain genres should be handled. And yes, it is dark, twisted, playful and unconventional. Just what the doctor ordered. It can be found here:
