Split Your Cerebrum is a collaboration album with a difference – both contributors are playing at the same time but on different channels; Gamers In Exile on the left channel and My Selfish Desire on the right. The idea is that the two channels combine to form one cohesive musical track with both channels being listened to simultaneously. Certainly an interesting concept but also one that could easily be a disaster or a success, the result being a perfect synergy of different musical styles or a mass of random noises. Split Your Cerebrum sits somewhere between the two mediums, the music occasionally fusing very well and at other times being slightly manic and abstract, but never boring and rarely just a random jumble of completely different musical styles.
The album opener, “Farewell Mr Toilet”, is a combination of silent movie style piano mayhem and electronic gloops that sound better in reality than they do descriptively. “Can We Talk About Girls Now?” takes a simple yet catchy electro tune and places it over swirling tones and arcade game blips. A mellower and somewhat more passionate piano makes a return on “325˚ Round Up Girl”, this time accompanied by bubbling synths. The mood then switches dramatically for “Anatra In My Brain”, a simplistic and somewhat annoying tune that is fused with an assortment of glitchy clatters. Then comes “Operetta Deviata”, a song comprised completely of digitised vocal fragments that is initially intriguing but loses its interest. “K Liebniz Failing Devices” is a frantic fusion of medieval style harpsichord and squelchy electronics with the harpsichord taking the forefront. This style is replicated for “Conlan My Friend” but this time with a considerably increased tempo. Changing the style completely is “A Finnish Cup About To Implode”, a track that takes acidic house-like beats and sits them over a fizzing electronic backdrop with warning tone synths and a piano accompaniment. The album closer, “Strabic Inducer”, sees a more radical departure in style by experimenting with slowly shifting tones and pitches.
Overall, Split Your Cerebrum has quite an array of styles on offer, some of which are interesting and some, while they are initially intriguing, soon wear thin and will not withstand many repeat plays. An interesting concept however, and quite well executed.
