TAPE LOOP - Reviews, Loopers speak their brains Options

[Sostie]

Here it is. Your own, brand new, Loop review thread

[maian]

Logger - Logger Rhythms

1. Slightly overlong opener that begins with a looped sample of funky piano and drums and, about halfway through starts to sound like a skeleton playing their ribcage whilst tuning a radio. Towards the end it starts to get a bit squelchy as well, so it's interesting at least. A good, solid opening.

2. The vocal effect on this reminded me of the intro to the 90s Spider-Man cartoon, which will always get my interest. The rest of the track is a pretty relentless, though subdued, techno sound that wouldn't be out of place in an 80s action film.

3. Very laidback slice of hip-hop that goes in one ear and out the other, but leaves a pleasant sensation for the most part.

4. Ah, a much missed voice opens the start of this track, assumingly it's been taken from one of his Festive Fifties and, at a guess, I'd say it sounds like a late-90s one. With it's barely tuneful vocals and minimal instrumental designed to allow the lyrics to shine through reminds me of anti-folk, a movement I'm not all that found of, but all in all it was entertaining and funny.

5. A nice follow up to the previous track as we go for a more out and out rock sound but with the sly sense of humour maintain as the gruff-voiced singer celebrates the alcoholism of his pregnant partner. Pretty funny.

6. Pounding drums and echoey guitars give this a spooky, off-kilter feeling which is then undercut by a none-more-sweeter female vocal. A nice dose of energy to proceedings thanks to the pace and melody.

7. Fast, fast, fast guitar-heavy number with barely coherent lyrics and some solid drumming. Jumpy, shouty fun that's like someone punching you in the face then scarpering.

8. Hard to understand spoken word sample then gives way to a bit of mild ambience and some damn silly lyrics. A bit dull.

9. Another short one, it's really just some guitar sounds and what appears to be a xylophone. Works nice as a bridge between tracks, but doesn't really do anything for me on its own.

10. Vaguely ethereal vocals make this sound like someone practicing in a church. The song itself is pretty unremarkable, it has to be said, with nothing to make it really grab my attention.

11. Strangely proggy keyboards mix uncomfortably with jazz drums and an effects laden vocal performance. Not bad in a Flaming Lips way, but again it just didn't make any impression on me.

12. This, I like. It's got some lovely vocals on it and a hungover quality to it, the result of hazy guitar playing and gentle instrumentation. Very good, though it does depend on my mood and whether I am, in fact, hungover.

13. Childish melody, drums that are hard to ignore and what appears to be Spanish lyrics make for an interesting diversion on the compilation. Lots of fun.

14. I'm not a big fan of dance music in general, and drum and bass in particular does nothing for me. Having said that, this isn't too bad. Caribbean accents add a certain spice to things and help make it stand out more than the standard beats and by rote police sirens would otherwise.

15. More of the same but not as good. Reminds me of the stuff that used to get played at a pub I lived in during the early 90s, and I can't say that I care for it any more now than I did then. Not terrible, but really not something I would consider listening to otherwise, especially the Mortal Kombat style synths.

16. Aside from the synth sound, which is quite interesting, this is just boring. The vocals are listless and the rest of the song is equally unimaginative. Next.

17. Initially lo-fi in its vocals, this then improved greatly with some subtle synths, male-female vocal dynamic and philosophical lyrics. A good late entry that was a nice contrast to the similar, but inferior Track 16.

18. That Voice again, still missed yet still introducing me to new music I like. A good vocal, funny lyrics and strong poppy guitars make for a song that's pretty much impossible for me to dislike.

19. A song that feels like an appropriate end to this compilation; witty, fun and slightly exhausted. Keeps up the excellent run of songs at the end of the mix and the unexpected saxophone gives a final jolt of energy to its dying moments. Very Kinks-esque.


As a whole, this mix was a bit epic and, at times, something of a slog to get through. There were definite lulls and moments of brilliance, but a lot of the time it settled into a middle ground that I neither hated nor particularly liked. It all flowed well, but that doesn't really make up for the problems I had with a lot of the tracks and ultimately it was difficult for me to get into it.

6/10

Tracklist, please.