Computerization a.k.a. Derek is a one man band from Brooklyn akin to the likes of Figurine. This comparison is particularly strong on “1Point14Me” where the artist’s friend Ashley does a fantastic job of imitating Meredith Figurine. The rest of the self-titled album realizes just how low-fi an electronica project can be. Aside from the opening track there is no vocoder within earshot, instead there’s an off kilter warbling whisper of sometimes too intimate lyrics. Some songs come out as straight up awkward like “MyBody” which sounds like a rejected carnie’s struggle with narcissism or “Fukuwinicu” which you can decipher by looking at for a little while. It’s not as eccentric and self indulgent as early Panther and Treasure Mammal releases, if you can get past the voice, there’s some nice melodies and analog keyboard sounds. That opening track is particularly sweet. Check it out.
May 28, 2008
Computerization
November 2, 2007
BEST FRIENDS FOREVER!!!
When we last heard from Treasure Mammal, he was making pleasing lo-fi electro tracks and then throwing up all over them. Awkward sound changes, unneeded spoken word fillers, and a brain melting absence of logic yielded an album that was at once exciting and frustrating. He was trying to be funny, we got that, but who was the butt of the joke? Him? Or Us?
These new tracks are more cohesive and clever, and now we can all laugh together instead of feeling like the author of the music is laughing at us for giving our time to listen. “Best Friends Forever” and “On The Computer” are chalk full of pop culture and internet culture references. Treasure Mammal’s position as an educator certainly places him in the middle of how serious and childish internet culture can be (especially around children). Like a gossipy preteen crossed with Patrick Swayze’s character from Donnie Darko with a pinch of Xiu Xiu, Treasure Mammal is back on the scene. He might be insane, but he’s hilarious.
MP3 – Best Friends Forever – Treasure Mammal
MP3 – On The Computer – Treasure Mammal
April 14, 2007
Expect the Max, Get the Worst
Treasure Mammal’s sound is like a man channeling Weird Al’s Humor and Jack Black’s enthusiastic fervor through Horatio San’s body. That is to say he is kind of funny, and really enthusiastic, but even he can’t help laughing at how ridiculous his album is. The sound goes from tolerable to awful, to just downright scary with the most manic genre hopping I have ever heard. He has inspirational music, punk music, dance music, hip hop, and stuff I’m not sure is music spattered all throughout “Expect the Max”. A song will stop on a dime and slam into synth sludge, a broken drum machine, or screaming. I mean, the man is talented to a degree and the whiplash nature of his genre switches yield some cool things once in a while, but it just feels like he is mocking all of music. Like the kid in class who isn’t funny but the class goads him on anyway (Is it a coincidence he is a middle school teacher?). You just want class to end. Kind of like how I want this album to end.
