A couple of months ago, when I didn’t yet have the Internet at my apartment here in Seoul, I went to a PC Room to check my email, and while there, searched for anything related to AllThisIsMeaningless or C/Fe Records as I do on occasion. I was rather surprised to see something new this time: Re:Gen Magazine’s review of the C/Fe Menagerie. I couldn’t help but to be pleased with the review overall, despite the three-star rating, particularly the comments on AllThisIsMeaningless:
The last artist, AllThisIsMeaningless, is the most genre-bending and unusual of the bunch and is most likely to either excite or confuse. Mixing indie rock, electronics, and cabaret-like vocals, AllThisIsMeaningless employs a seemingly intentional rough sound mix giving the impression that at least part of it is coming out of an old phonograph. This gives the work the strange feeling of new and old technologies clashing, like an aural interpretation of steampunk fashion.
Better than I could have imagined. “Cabaret-like vocals?” “New and old technologies clashing?” “An aural interpretation of steampunk fashion?” How could I not be happy with this review?
It is unfortunate to see The Still Lifes work characterized as “glorified spoken word,” but then I’m fairly certain Ikarus and Willem will take that as a compliment, and they’ve publicized their music as spoken word from the beginning, so it’s hard not to feel too badly for them. I’m am a bit surprised by the lack of interest in “Sebastian Says, “Checkmate, I think,” if for no other reason than it is the best mixed track on the sampler, in my opinion. Yes, I mixed it, but that’s beside the point. It’s a cool track. By the way, I’ve heard some of the stuff they’re working on (these guys are taking almost as long on their album as I am). It’s still spoken word, but they seem to be ditching the noise for the most part for something more accessible.
As far as the comments on the MusiM tracks, I maintain that those tracks are far, far from John’s best work, and with everyone getting wet over these three tracks I imagine their heads will explode when they hear his really good shit.
AllThisIsMeaningless 