Pessimism’s natural in the Internet’s climate of constant stimulation; it’s a coping mechanism, a natural response to distributors’ exhausting hucksterism. But in case you want to put that pessimism in abeyance and pick gems out of that Everest of so-so musical ephemera, pick these two. Not only will you get a kick out of their sprightly cogency, but you’ll also be supporting the people behind the music, who certainly deserve attention. Check these out and you can ignore everything else for the day – after all, what are the odds?
[September 2011] My Google Reader feed is a torrential mess, and even though I make an effort to read all of it every day, I’m still tempted to click Mark All As Read. Sometimes I do. Who has the time for all of this stuff? Not that anyone could ever digest the total daily output of the music world, but being reminded of this is upsetting and begets cynicism. Exhortations like HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! and AN ABSOLUTE MUST! don’t help either. It’s unfortunate math: take a hundred or so bloggers’ shortlists for album of the year and how much material is there in total? And how much of that is disappointing? For any discriminating listener, invariably quite a lot.
So in my browsing I’ve learned what to generally avoid (“RIYL post-rock,” “transcends genres”), but I’m always gambling. That “transcendent” post-rock album so desperately advertised might be something worthwhile, or a future personal favorite. Who can tell? I’ve made a fair amount of jackpot discoveries shooting in the dark, which is why every time I pass on a band I’ve never heard of I feel a tiny pang of conscience. What if?
Melted Magic and Fallback Functions are stentorian answers to that “What if.” Yeah, I probably would have skipped over both had I seen them in Google Reader. Melted Magic’s artwork may have caught my eye, since I’m a sucker for bright multicolored things, but with the name itself ringing no bells, well, why take the chance?
Fortunately, I didn’t find them that way. I had been a fan of Obey City since his standout track “All My Love” (listen here) on Astro Nautico’s Atlantics EP, which, I swear, sounds like a muscled revision of some half-remembered Super Monkey Ball track. “All My Love” is striking for its straightforward vibrancy and exuberance, a rarity among today’s Brainfeeder cult of “blunted” beat obfuscation. Obey City’s other cut on Atlantics was just as lush, so Melted Magic was obviously worth a listen. As for Fallback Functions, it arrived from Igloo HQ with a Merck comparison, so I was sold.
Fallback Functions is initially arresting because Josip Klobučar isn’t on anyone’s radar. I think that’s a fair assumption to make based on his Internet presence: A SoundCloud, A Myspace, whatever, but no hype. None. A thousand Last.fm plays and even less YouTube views. What gives? This is complex instrumental hip hop, supremely fluid and more lucid than whatever strain of confused haze is currently in vogue. And this is a debut? Talent this raw makes one think they should have heard of it by now. If this one went unnoticed, what else did?
Maybe Klobučar isn’t hyped because he’s not jumping on any bandwagons. Fallback Functions has its conceptual thrills, of course, but none that are trendy or liable to wear out. Dorian Concept’s hyperactive swagger is an obvious signpost – the two producers have the same ADHD cut ‘n’ paste approach and flourishes of high-register squiggle, but Klobucar’s treatment of Dorian’s style is an aesthetic improvement, like spreading aspic over candy. Smooth. The well-oiled, effortless finesse of standouts such as “Same Route Everyday” and “9 Walls” attest to Klobučar’s dexterity. Not only are the samples imaginative and disparate, but they are arranged so cleverly you forget you’re listening to something that, theoretically, shouldn’t flow so well.
Melted Magic as a whole is similar to Fallback Functions – excitable beat-driven tunes aimed straight for the brain’s pleasure center. Even though Melted Magic features more up-to-date signifiers, most notably hints at footwork and dubstep, it is no more interested in trend-hopping than Fallback Functions. No posturing, just revelry: like a sweltering summer block party where the broken fire hydrants shoot rainbow Dippin’ Dots. Welcome to Obey City.
Too bad it’s only getting an mp3 release, since it would fit so tidily onto a 12-inch. The first two numbers are a honeyed hip-hop mélange topped with stuff like the Waka Flocka snare trills and Sunset Corp. moans of the title track and the jogging sense of perpetual acceleration on “Intrigue.” The flip side is a 4/4 affair, lower-key but imbued all the same with fluorescent vim. Melted Magic is sweet but never saccharine (“Snickers,” heh), fitting xylophone and touches of Yamaha DX7 cheese into its totally serious, totally fun world of Skittles rainbows and VHS sunsets. This is some ebullient shit.
So have I made you feel guilty yet? When I listened to Fallback Functions for the first time, I admit I eagerly looked for some amateur slip or clay-footed trope to form some grounds for dismissal, and finding none, I felt my skepticism melt. And when repeat listens only brought admiration for nimble miracles like “Join The Troop” and “Again and Again,” I just felt bad for ever being jaded about it. The same goes for Melted Magic, though I was less eager to dismiss it – I could, and would, have passed these albums up, had I found them elsewhere.
Not that there’s a moral here. Checking out everything that comes your way won’t pay off, because not everything that comes your way is worth checking out. Plus pessimism’s natural in the Internet’s climate of constant stimulation; it’s a coping mechanism, a natural response to distributors’ exhausting hucksterism. But in case you want to put that pessimism in abeyance and pick gems out of that Everest of so-so musical ephemera, pick these two. Not only will you get a kick out of their sprightly cogency, but you’ll also be supporting the people behind the music, who certainly deserve attention. Check these out and you can ignore everything else for the day – after all, what are the odds?
Josip Klobučar‘s Fallback Functions is out now on 4Lux. Obey City‘s Melted Magic is out now on Astro Nautico.
