REVIEW: Mr. Oizo, Analogue Worms Attack (Mute / F-Communications)
- Krisjanis Gale
Following production of two EP's released via F-Communications, "#1" and "M-Seq," and several videos for techno legend Laurent Garnier, including "Crispy Bacon", "The Hoe," and "Flashback," artist/musician Quentin Dupieux was to become best known for his single "Flat Beat," used in a series of Levi's TV spots featuring his own sock-puppet creation "Flat Eric." Although the single garnered him 2 million sales of the single and a top spot in Euro charts, the artist now known as Mr. Oizo declined offers for more remixes, ads, and videos.
Instead, he entered the studio to record Analogue Worms Attack.
Scribbly purple worm creatures on the front cover, a sticker with a sock puppet claiming "this is music i dance to," and a first track entitled "Bad start" are all clues that Mr. Oizo is an odd being who doesn't take himself too seriously - which is good because it's that attitude that has lead to the production of the fun, flightly, experimental bit of electro funk Analogue Worms Attack.
Diced up with clever breaks, blips, and some fabulously monstrous basslines, the album journeys into a vast expanse of twisted, distorted, minimal hip-hop beatbox experimentalism. In much the same way as the latter half of Daft Punk's Homework and Howie B's album Music for Babies, the focus is not on well constructed tapestries of perfect audio, but rather, firing up the samplers and synths with half an idea and seeing what develops.
Deciding which of the fifteen tracks to highlight is a daunting task, but here goes...
The title track is a bit too long, but it has merit. Extreme distortion, a slow fat chunky break, and a looming synth defines the term "Analogue Worms," and the manner in which they "Attack." This tune is developed later on in the nearly nine minute track fourteen - the "Sequel" delves further into raw synthetics, effect and filter wizardry.
"Monophonic Shit" sounds at first like Autechre's "c/pach" on Tri Repeatae, with a snappy, klacky rhtyhm, and then at 1:23, it kicks into something akin to Aphex Twin's Window Licker, as if remixed in a "less is more" frame of mind.
"Inside the Kidney Machine," though highly repetitive, features a snarling, nasty pit bull of a bass synth which twiddles its way around an unchanging beat loop. The beat complements it perfectly, contrasting the dirt of the synth with clean, high end hi hat and snare.
"Last Night a DJ Killed My Dog" reminds me of Stardust's "Music Sounds Better With You," with its chopped guitar twangs, but better done and with more clever beat and bassline work. Some definite funk on this one.
"Feadz On" gives DJ Fabien Feadz Pianta, responsible for all the scratchwork on the rest of the album, a little more than a minute to flex his incredible fader swapping, deck fumbling talent.
The now famous "Flat Beat," which appears dead last, and "Flat 55," on track 12, are lighter and simpler than the other tracks, with quick, clean rhythms and pure, unadulterated bass synth. It seems these tracks are unrelated to the ominous noise-music Mr. Oizo has grown more accustomed to creating. Nevertheless, the included video for "Flat Beat," featuring "Flat Eric" the puppet as a desk-bound executive making calls and bopping his head along to the tune, is truly hysterical.
To conclude: if you enjoyed the roots of oldskool hip-hop and early electro, and lust after funk bass and noisy breakbeat, Mr. Oizo does an excellent job of mixing all those elements in totally chaotic form and futurist vision. Analogue Worms Attack may not be pretty, but remember what a mess your baking soda and vinegar volcano made of your mother's kitchen? And how much fun that was? Mr. Oizo does the same with music.
