Tiger My Friend

Psapp

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 2, 2004)
• Original Release Date: November 1, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Leaf Spain
• ASIN: B0006G8VWW
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #83,633 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Those who are intrigued by electronica but find it's too chilly for their tastes would be wise to check out Psapp. Londoners Carim Clasmann and Galia Durant's full-length debut is rife with nagging melodies and warm production touches that belie the kind of minimalist experimentalism they explore. Deftly intertwining the organic with the electronic, the pair concoct music that may be colored lyrically by romantic disquiet and musically by studio trickery, but nevertheless feels inviting and cozy. An acoustic guitar weaves through the stuttering percussion before folding into a tweaked break on "Cornucula," while "About Fun" adopts a tropicalia air, "King Kong" is powered by a suitably tribal rhythm, and "The Counter"'s delicate melody and smoky vocal posits it as electronic cabaret. The unexpected gradually becomes the norm over the course of these 11 songs, which quite a feat. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Casio minimalism with heart., January 11, 2005

By	skytwo "skytwo" (Boston) - See all my reviews

OK, that isn't entirely fair. The instrumentation is more complex than that might lead you to believe. The chimes and simple keyboard arrangements (often reminiscent of a music box) are accompanied by a host of other sounds, not least of which are the warm vocals. Very melodious, and with a definite 'little girl' sound, they fall somewhere between Pram and Mum. In fact, some of the sounds-of-childhood themes are reminiscent of Pram as well, but without the sinister undertones. And the sound isn't as slow or ethereal as Mum.

Psapp doesn't really break new ground here (although the addition of the cat's squeaks on the track 'About Fun' are worthy of special mention), but fans of the other groups mentioned should be pleased, and "Tiger, My Friend" is a very agreeable album with lots to like. But maybe you should consider it a three-star review if you haven't heard the other groups mentioned...

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Experimental Music Made For A Pop Audience, December 9, 2005

By	J. Fowler (Richmond, VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This group is way more than what some are calling 'toytronica'. What Nine Inch Nails did for industrial music, this group may just well do for experimental electronica. Part of it is pure songrwriting prowess; part of it is Galia Durant's smooth, sensually faux-naive vocals; and part of it is Carim Clasmann's production quality (Clasmann's production credits include experimental artists Einstürtzende Neubauten as well as transglobal chantreuses Natacha Atlas, and Susheela Raman). Fused, the result sounds like Stereolab and the Books got together to make music for the 22nd Century. Yet, somehow, they managed to score the theme song for ABC's Grey's Anatomy, despite their completely ahead-of-their-time sound. Yet, somehow, they manage to sound not made for the dancefloor, despite their heavy use of electronic bleeps and blurps that sometimes incorporate moments of glitch, sometimes reminiscent of Tweaker. Yet, somehow, this music sounds like it belongs in its own space, apart from any national or international origin. These songs are at once spastic and relaxed, hyper and tranquil. Yet, somehow... you should find a way to listen to this album. Meanwhile, check this group on their deep-water records site --> [...].

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Overwhelming endearing, June 3, 2005

By	Matthew Keller (here, there, everywhere) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a pretty incredible CD. Definitely one of my favorites among recent purchases. The vocalist is a woman, and the music is largely electronic. The instrumentation is so intricate that one gets the idea that its creation must have been painstaking. There are so many unusual noises collaged together, but every sound falls perfectly into place. The vocalist moves from warm beauty to icy cool. Overall, they are like a listener friendly Pram. The best point about this album is that it opens up more and more with each play. Definitely, an album for people who actually listen to music as it plays instead of those who vacuum.