Customer Reviews

Droopy Butt Begone

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Techno alter-ego of Aidan from Exhaust & Godspeed, sampling his own live beats & mixing them up with melodic elements ranging from the irreverent to the sublime.

I took that from the Autumn 2000 Constellation catalogue, describing the 1-Speed Bike release, because it did so, very , um, correctly. This is an amazing release. For anyone who listened to Godspeed... or any expeerimental group, this is definatly for them!

several reviews compare this recording to gy!be and it's lack of sounding like gy!be. mainly because it isn't nor was it meant to sound like that. it also doesn't classify as electronic music. i would assume this is aidan's "boredom setting in" release. he interestingly took his own recorded drums from gy!be and exaust, cut em up and looped them adding interesting bass lines and random field recordings. the production is kept to a minimal and no crazy effects are used. just simple delays, reverbs and flange, phase work. some nice moog-like synth swells and blops also to boot. this is worth picking up. i do belive more could have been done with it though(it seems he didn't spend as much time tweeking as he should have), but a solid effort nonetheless.

Well I had no idea what to expect from this cd, all I knew is that it was put together by mr drum boy from Godspeed You Black Emperor! which might I add is a great band, and everyone should give them a shot. Anywho, 1-Speed Bike was everything that I was expecting and more, its truely put together with great precision and thought. Very well done structures and harmonies. If anyone is into drum n bass they should check this out, if anyone is into GYBE! they should check this out, if anyone is into expirimental they should check this out, if anyone is into 1 use enimas they should check this out. On the other hand, Gladiator is a great movie and I highly recomend it.

For something that plays like a total drum-n-bass side-project, DBB unfolds surprisingly sturdy and adds enough atmospheric dread to propel mostly simple beats into an engaging listen.

While it seems the previous reviewers look at 1-Speed Bike as a boiled down drum n bass version of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, I think this album should be considered more honestly as its own unique sound with its own intentions. "Droopy Butt Begone!" has an edge without the saturation and melodrama of GY!BE. The beats are strong and creative, and give a sense of environment and connection to life. I get the impression of Aidan laying down tracks like Bjork's character in "Dancer in the Dark", evolving out of a moment. Great stuff. I highly recommend it for driving.

In their increasing popularity, Godspeed You Black Emperor! drags a whole bunch of average artists out of the anonimity where they belong. 1-Speed Bike think one just needs to take some field recordings and make some noise on top of them, to create the deep atmospheric music of bands like GYBE!. The truth is that this music intensely average. The album ends with the sound of a toilet flushing. I can only hear it as a suggestion for this album.