The Answer Is In The Beat

MrDougDoug: These Magical Numbers tape (self-released, 2016) + SOS Forks Al REM tape (Hausu Mountain, 2016)

January 21, 2017 at 7:55 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

On election day, Doug Kaplan (Good Willsmith, Hausu Mountain) released this tape containing dozens of renditions of the American national anthem played off YouTube in real time. For over half an hour. It is an overwhelming monstrosity of pure patriotism. It is completely nauseating, obnoxious, horrifying, hilarious, and completely appropriate for everything that’s happening right now. Everyone should be forced to listen to this. But then, everyone is basically being force-fed this already. This Is America. The best parts are whenever the airhorns show up near the end. After this, there’s another track dealing more specifically with the subject of lizard people. Specifically those who talk really fast at the same time and keep repeating themselves and tell you to shut up. You knew damn well I was a snake.
If this all seems too heavy, too apocalyptic, too real, there’s another MrDougDoug tape that’s much cheerier, and even more ambitious. SOS Forks Al REM is an hour of mostly short fragmentary tracks, usually around a minute each, consisting of manipulated MIDI files. The tones themselves are generally familiar (light, chirpy, plastic), but they’re modified to play intense, high-speed compositions and then pulled around a bit more with crunchy, scrunchy effects. It’s like sitcom grindcore or the most over-caffeinated Mario Paint session of all time. Each track generally feels like a really intense, manic cartoon character pecking at your face for a minute at a time, then suddenly disappearing and being replaced by another one. The last few tracks are a lot longer and sometimes aren’t quite so frenetic, such as “Sedan Remnant 20-10”, which feels like a series of delayed responses. The two longest tracks are more tranquil and patient, but the 15-minute “SOS Forks Al REM 33” still feels like waterfalls and rainbows, while “The Filmy Rig 15” is more like walking around a familiar, generally well-lit park at night. A little spooky but it’s safe, there’s nothing to be afraid of.