 Bran
Flakes
"Bounces!" CD
Happi
Tyme Records
Genres: tape collage, found sound, plunderphonics
Happi Tyme
Box 21104
Seattle, WA 98111
USA
Sep 23 - 29 2002 |
So
you like Negativland but they're too political. And People
Like Us is fine and all, but she keeps going on those long
stretches of vocal sample conversations. Or maybe you're just looking
for something new on the tape collage scene. Well, either way, The
Bran Flakes are here to make you smile and giggle, as they've
packed on whole loads of thrift store sounds to this album, snatching
samples from just about everywhere you can imagine. It's pretty safe to say that if you enjoyed It's Hard To Find A
Friend, Bounces! will satisfy your Bran cravings. As
with Friend, the Flakes have loaded this album with
tongue-in-cheek humour. For example, the title track lays an aerobic
vocal instructor's voice ("Bounces, bounce two, stretch
two") over the bassline to "Another One Bites The
Dust". Then there's "Ding Dong Dub", a happy 60-ish kitsch
piece that adds a whole new dimension to the old "Ding Dong
Bell" nursery rhyme. It's the first time I've
heard the classic song being put in such a context. Another favourite
is "Mr. Snuggles", a track that places a love song about
someone (or something) named Mr. Snuggles over a deliberately off-key
background. This produces an eerie, yet giggle-inducing, atmosphere.
There's a lot to love in Bounces! and not much to hate.
While a few of the tracks may not be to everyone's liking, anyone with
a pulse should find themselves laughing along to this album. Even when
you think it's going for a long, "serious" instrumental
session, the Flakes will throw in a well-timed soundbit about panties
and get you hooting all over again.
All in all, Bounces! is a surprisingly catchy trip to the
world of kitsch, schmaltz, and oddly familiar melodies. This album has
secured The Bran Flakes a place in the world of Negativland and People
Like Us, and proves itself to be easily one of the year's most
hilarious records.
92%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
71 min 33 sec; 17 tracks; distributed by Aquarius;
released 2002] |
