Fluxblog #118: Monster Rally/RUMTUM, Patience, Rhye, Octo Octa
July 25th, 2017
The Light That Comes From A Smile
Monster Rally & RUMTUM “Raindrops”
I’m not sure what song is being sampled here, but I love the way Monster Rally and RUMTUM bend this honey sweet voice so it forms a coherent phrase – “heaven offers the raindrops.” It’s like those activity book games where you fold the paper so different lines connect to reveal an answer. It fits perfectly into the music too, in which the atmosphere of it and the shifting elements recall the uncertain weather just after humidity breaks and produces a sudden summer rainstorm. It’s an interesting sensation, like “oh, so this is what relief feels like.”
Buy it from Amazon.
Patience “White On An Eye”
It’s funny, this is essentially retro early 80s synth pop – the New Order and Vince Clarke fandom is right out in the open – but it makes me nostalgic for the early days of this site in the early ‘00s, when embracing this aesthetic was fresh and a bit contrary. “White Of An Eye” sounds like the work of someone who has immersed herself in early New Order and late ‘80s twee UK indie to the point of completely internalizing the best artistic instincts of that music. It’s an exceptionally charming tune, and structured for the ideal balance of cuteness, angst, and bop-ability.
Buy it from Bandcamp.
July 27th, 2017
A Pillow Of Lies
Rhye “Please”
When Rhye released their first few songs back in 2013 there was a manufactured mystery about them – where did this gentle, sexy music come from, and who is this woman with the silky, gorgeous voice? This was clearly setup for the big reveal: That’s not a woman at all, that’s some guy named Mike Milosh! I get it. It’s a good story. It’s probably the only manufactured mystery around the identity of a new indie act that actually was interesting and made sense. It’s usually just a coward move.
The funny thing is that despite this being common knowledge now, the music itself still has this mysterious quality to it. Milosh’s voice is still lovely and extremely feminine – it’s not a matter of someone affecting a falsetto, it goes a lot deeper than that. How did Milosh arrive at this vocal style, and is it deliberately meant to convey vulnerability and fragility through that femininity? Is this a rejection of masculinity, or a way of expanding and adapting it? I’m not sure if I actually want the answers, I enjoy this vague tension in music that otherwise sounds rather relaxed and smooth. I also love the way Milosh and his partner Robin Hannibal create a feeling of intense intimacy in their music – listening to “Please” can feel vaguely voyeuristic, as though you’re getting access to some unguarded moment between people who truly know one another.
Buy it from Amazon.
July 28th, 2017
Caught In The Rain
Octo Octa “No More Pain (Promises To A Younger Self)”
This is a great example of an artist giving an abstract work of art a title that gives you some loose instruction on how to interpret it. The first 30 seconds of “No More Pain (Promises To A Younger Self)” is ambient and vaguely melancholy – not overtly sad, but an indication of some sort of absence. Like being aware that you don’t have what you need, but not really knowing what it is just yet. When the beat kicks in it’s like suddenly finding what you’ve been missing, and when the vocal sample comes in it’s like hearing a voice that’s speaking directly to you. And holy shit, that voice is Mariah fucking Carey! I love what Octo Octa does with Carey’s voice here, chopping it up so you can immediately recognize her glorious tone but distorted enough that there’s no words, just an ecstatic feeling. It’s the raw essence of Mariah, and it’s presented here as the sound of an epiphany and self-acceptance. It’s perfect casting.
Buy it from Bandcamp.