Mudboy on Disques Lexi records

Lexi002, Mudboy, 'Music For Any Speed' 7-inch

New single in for review today from a new label Disques Lexi out of Belgium. Right away I'm always impressed by thought that goes into these art objects. Super thick picture disc mylar houses a fold out newsprint poster that Catherine from Disques Lexi took in her garden, it's duotone orange and black, and very creepy, a person in some kind of superimposed black cape sits on the end of a young girls hand...she doesn't seem too unhappy about it though, and there's a long history of kids creepily not being scared by things they should...like poltergeists. The last I heard from Mudboy was on DNT records, and I remember hearing something about this ambitious series of singles across a bunch of labels, so I'm assuming this is the latest in the scavenger hunt. Now the title right away has me hooked. Music for any speed. I think I have a personal problem with speed on the more experimental...if it's not there somewhere, then you can bet I'll listen for a while at the wrong speed. I want to know the artists intention. Mudboy solves that problem here right away. It's up to you. So now I can be right no matter what. The insert describes it:
How could these arrangements of sound, this organization of noise possibly matter if absorbed at a distance, which is high speed; or up close, microscopic and slowed down? Do I not hear the same thing? is not every moment passing through my skull? As such these two songs are one.
It's an interesting point, music is a time based medium, you can only spend as much time with it as the device allows, and here's where he takes amazing advantage with this format, how is this going to sound when meant for both speeds? The lowly collectible single is completely tied to hearing this work, it can't exist in another format...and I have a special place in my heart, and shelf for singles that take the uniqueness of the format into account.
I have to wonder too if after this piece was recorded some software was used to get an idea how it was going to sound, or he wrote in real time keeping that in mind, and part of the piece too was the unknown in slowing down or speeding it up? The A-Side 'Thaw' (now wait a second Mudboy, you can't put a running time after these track names!!!! You just said it's up to me! What if I put it on 78? It's not going to be 4 minutes 32 seconds!) has a definite Irish electronic feel. Or Scottish? I plead ignorance in my non indie rock music forms...it's electronic bagpipe sounding...all the notes at once, chords emerging as notes fall away. I can't get over at what speed was it recorded...it sounds fine at 45...a little quick maybe? It's a dream sequence in Bladerunner....or a renaissance faire on another planet. I'm hearing some distorted guitar underneath. At 33 it is weird to suddenly pick apart different sounds, this opening I didn't even catch the first time, but it easily works at this speed as well, it's not out obviously out of place. The organ sound is more pronounced in this version, this sort of airy pipe organ...that's new. Weird.
The B-Side 'Freeze' definitely sounds like it's picking up off of the end of the A-Side, that distorted guitar is fading out with the synth underneath, there's a darker melody working here and since freezing isn't a comfortable idea, I can see where this is headed. The guitar sounds get more and more deconstructed as the song goes on, weird gates and filters, turning it into a sawblade stutter. The onimous organ never leaves and the second half of this movement is just barely moving as it gets colder and colder and everything stops.

There is a download code for this release, but again, you'll have to use some kind of pitch bend to hear it both ways...or for that matter I guess any number of ways, it's always great to have this option, but it kind of defeats the purpose. 7"'s - 1, Digital files - 0.
Available from Disques Lexi's site or Mudboys own and DNT is supposed to have some, probably in their next update.

Another one coming tomorrow from the Disques, from The Rebel.....

Mudboy - Mudmux Vol 1 on DNT records. Interview Pt2

This is another single I got a little confused at what speed it's meant to be heard...it's certainly frantic enough at 45, but 33 sounds just a little too slow, so 45 is what I'm sticking with.....it's more bent elecronic-y.
(Tynan says it's most definitely 33 - ed)
Immediately this is really creating some kind of 90's horror movie theme tension, like any good John Carpenter soundtrack.... combined with all kinds of clipped and cut up beats behind panning back and forth. Quiet sinister wind howling, breathy noises and I think there's a conversation ...or some kind of human voices somewhere in the mix.
Apparently this was an old midi file unearthed on a floppy from what I'm getting was a previous project from mudboy called Extreme Animals(?). Or maybe he just knew them to get permission to use this? This track originally entitled 'Raprockpoprocks' now dubbed 'Lil John Carpenter Tribute Song', which leads me to believe there's some lil' John samples/influence in there somewhere, along with the mixed in metal clanging, and cymbal crashing which pokes out over the synth line every few measures.
It increasingly gets electronic and glitchy and takes you out back where it started on slow deliberate synth bassline.

The B-side takes you in a completely different direction...originally by the DarkDarkDark band called 'Come Home'...it's all accordion and slow vocals from Nona Marie Dark. Another ominous track Mudboy devolves into tempo bending slowness by the end, drawing out a single word for seconds, turning them spectral. The voice turned ghostly entity who is asking you to come home...but probably by now means come home to die. The vocals are two different takes layered across channels with real huge separation. I'm getting the feeling Mudboy tends to take things on a dark path, and gravitates towards working this kind of thing.

Mudboy seems to be somewhat of a renaissance man based out of providence and has done sound installations, builds custom instruments and sells artwork/music releases on his site.
The DNT packaging as always is amazing...this is no exception...the printed sleeve is ultra thick ink and almost seeps through the other side...real handmade and one of a kind.
Mudboy says:
Cover art is a hand made blue and platinum 4 pass silkscreen by R Lyon in collaboration with Kevin Hooyman. Using an experimental marbelled printing technique to generate the skyscape.Each one is unique. Limited to 535.
All of them on clear Blue vinyl.
Apparently this is part of a series of reworking various material across a bunch of labels. I haven't been able to find any info an Vol.2, but I'm guessing it's going to be a mixed bag of cassette, 7", and CD-R.

S-S records has this to say: Mudboy – Mudboy's Mudmux Vol 1 7" (DNT) $5
Eccentrics seem to gravitate to the organ. From the straightlaced dudes romping on movie house pipe organs to soul masters like Timmy Thomas to underground heroes like Quintron, the keys off an odd home. Mudboy is the name now burbling about the organ underworld. His album on Not Not Fun is a great mind blitz. Here he embarks on what is to be the beginning of a series of him screwing around with other people's songs. On Mudmux he remixes or adds to or something songs by the Extreme Animals and DarkDarkDark for one eerie ballad of sorts and a tune that resembles an outtake from a soundtrack of odd movie music. On blue vinyl. 300 press.

Available direct from DNT or ssrecords

As promised here is Episode 31, the last part of the interview with DNT records....the mudboy track is played at the end although I'm kind of convinced now it's supposed to be 33 not 45 as played...oh well.... you be the judge.

From Raphael himself........
PPS- extreme animals isnt an old offshoot of mudboy- its a separate band, part of paper rad sort of. Just buddies.