HR031 - Macroglossia — Simply Fun — C60 — 1986
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Side A:
Methyl Isocyanate Be Quiet & Listen The Pain Jerk Me Off Part 1 Side B: Jerk Me Off Part 2 As It Was/Carnivorous Slip & Shake-Do The Snake (short version) Macroglossia is Chris Phinney & Richard Martin Special Guests Mike Jackson & Stuart Locke on Side 2, songs #2 & #3 |
REVIEW by Jerry Kranitz
The first Macroglossia tape (HR003) featured the duo of Chris Phinney and Richard Martin. Simply Fun is the second of only two recorded as Macroglossia, and along with Phinney and Martin are guests Mike Jackson and Stuart Locke on two of the six tracks.
Side A opens with ‘Methyl Isocyanate’, a spacey, pleasantly melodic instrumental with a freaky symphonic vibe that dances along against a clumpity electro beat. There’s a cool ooh-wee-ooh sci-fi synth that later carries the lead melody and has a nifty noisy edge.
‘Be Quiet & Listen The Pain’ is a darkly gothic experimental song with eerie spoken/sung vocals by Richard and Chris murmuring in the background. The underlying musical theme is anchored by a rumbling, partially melodic synth, plus freaked out electronic horn blasts, squeals and pulsations that gradually build up to a chaotic alien mish-mash of effects. This is a lengthy piece that really explores and makes good use of all the bits and pieces it throws in the mix, making for a boisterous bobsled ride through pure cosmic pandemonium. But then the duo transition to a freak funky rhythmic pulse that serves as the foundation for their vocal rants, with Richard on ominous whispers and Chris sounding like an over the top punk angry Captain Beefheart. The beats get whimsically whacky, along with toy-like synth squalls, which adds a humorous edge to the otherwise enraged vibe.
‘Jerk Me Off Part 1’ ends Side A and is a short piece that is a valium paced and somewhat melodic space tune with a Snakefinger-ish guitar lead, caustically droning soundscape waves, and a rickety beat. Side B kicks off with ‘Jerk Me Off Part 2’, which picks up right where Part 1 left off, though it’s still just a short tune.
‘As It Was/Carnivorous’ is an amazing experimental space-noise exploration and the epic highlight of the set. It combines a tasty contrast of meditative ambience, cavernous squalls, guitars, rhythmic scratches, and gurgling vocals. As it progresses the music gets BOTH contemplative and densely intense, with rhythms that are weirdly tribal, squealing synths zip about, and my favorite part is the whacked out juxtaposition of pounding industrial rhythms, screaming synths, miscellaneous alien effects, simple but pleasant melodies, and underlying peaceful ambience. Close listening is required to hear what I mean about the ‘peaceful’ part. A crazy but glorious amalgamation of moods. Something new is revealed with repeated listens.
Finally, ‘Slip & Shake-Do The Snake (short version)’ concludes the set with a damn cool industrial space rocker. Dig those funky hip-hoppy rhythms and vocals that are ranting and helium efx’d, all rocking along at a noisily cool grooving pulse. You could dance to this (with the right drugs).
INTERVIEW with Chris Phinney by Jerry Kranitz
JK: The first Macroglossia was only the third tape in the Harsh Reality catalog. Why did you decide to return to it?
CP: Me and Richard (Martin) were recording together and Stuart Locke came over and while we were recording Mike Jackson showed up and they joined in. Mike and Stuart are only on songs 2 and 3 (on Side B).
JK: So you and Richard just happened to be recording and you decided to call it Macroglossia?
CP: Yeah, because me and Richard had already done the first tape as Macroglossia. So we decided this is Macroglossia. When we started out recording the tape we did the first four songs and those were Macroglossia. And then we just happened to have some special guest artists on the rest.
JK: And this was it for Macroglossia? There weren’t any other tapes on other labels?
CP: No. We never did any others. Whenever Richard was over here we were recording as Viktimized Karcass.
JK: The opening track, ‘Methyl Isocyanate’, I couldn’t resist Googling that and the definition I got is “is a chemical used in the manufacture of polyurethane foam, pesticides and plastics.” Whassup with that title?
CP: It’s just a chemical name, no story to it whatsoever. It just sounded cool. It was probably on the side of a can of polyurethane, which they don’t make anymore. So I probably pulled it off the side of a can that was sitting right there.
JK: That’s a fun insight into how you can get song titles. Just spotted it on the side of a can.
CP: Yeah, that’s how we got lots of titles. Off of cigar boxes and shit like that (laughs).
JK: Musically it was a cool mixture of contrasts. You’ve got pleasant melodies, but also noise and lots of sci-fi freakiness too.
CP: We were just jamming. And we had a lot better gear than when we did the first Macroglossia of course.
JK: I liked ‘Be Quiet & Listen The Pain’, which has eerie spoken/sung vocals. Someone has lead vocals and another is murmuring in the background. Who did the lead vocals?
CP: Richard was on the lead and I was mumbling some shit.
JK: My favorite track is ‘As It Was/Carnivorous’. I took a whole paragraph to describe that one.
CP: That’s when Mike Jackson and Stuart Locke showed up. It was probably the first time Stuart Locke recorded in his entire life. He wasn’t a musician, he was a fellow painter.
JK: So he just showed up and you drafted him into recording with you?
CP: Well, we were recording and we weren’t going to quit recording.
JK: If you’re going to hang out you’re going to participate.
CP: We’re going to finish this release.
JK: ‘Slip & Shake-Do The Snake (short version)’…. Is there a longer version somewhere?
CP: We couldn’t fit it all on the tape. The longer version I have no idea what happened to it. It might be on a master, it might have gotten recorded over.
JK: So you put (short version) as part of the title because you knew there was more, whether or not anyone would ever hear it or not.
CP: Exactly.
JK: What is the cover? I always have to ask you that.
CP: The cover on the tape is the tile from my master bathroom floor. Got away from the grave stones for a change.
The first Macroglossia tape (HR003) featured the duo of Chris Phinney and Richard Martin. Simply Fun is the second of only two recorded as Macroglossia, and along with Phinney and Martin are guests Mike Jackson and Stuart Locke on two of the six tracks.
Side A opens with ‘Methyl Isocyanate’, a spacey, pleasantly melodic instrumental with a freaky symphonic vibe that dances along against a clumpity electro beat. There’s a cool ooh-wee-ooh sci-fi synth that later carries the lead melody and has a nifty noisy edge.
‘Be Quiet & Listen The Pain’ is a darkly gothic experimental song with eerie spoken/sung vocals by Richard and Chris murmuring in the background. The underlying musical theme is anchored by a rumbling, partially melodic synth, plus freaked out electronic horn blasts, squeals and pulsations that gradually build up to a chaotic alien mish-mash of effects. This is a lengthy piece that really explores and makes good use of all the bits and pieces it throws in the mix, making for a boisterous bobsled ride through pure cosmic pandemonium. But then the duo transition to a freak funky rhythmic pulse that serves as the foundation for their vocal rants, with Richard on ominous whispers and Chris sounding like an over the top punk angry Captain Beefheart. The beats get whimsically whacky, along with toy-like synth squalls, which adds a humorous edge to the otherwise enraged vibe.
‘Jerk Me Off Part 1’ ends Side A and is a short piece that is a valium paced and somewhat melodic space tune with a Snakefinger-ish guitar lead, caustically droning soundscape waves, and a rickety beat. Side B kicks off with ‘Jerk Me Off Part 2’, which picks up right where Part 1 left off, though it’s still just a short tune.
‘As It Was/Carnivorous’ is an amazing experimental space-noise exploration and the epic highlight of the set. It combines a tasty contrast of meditative ambience, cavernous squalls, guitars, rhythmic scratches, and gurgling vocals. As it progresses the music gets BOTH contemplative and densely intense, with rhythms that are weirdly tribal, squealing synths zip about, and my favorite part is the whacked out juxtaposition of pounding industrial rhythms, screaming synths, miscellaneous alien effects, simple but pleasant melodies, and underlying peaceful ambience. Close listening is required to hear what I mean about the ‘peaceful’ part. A crazy but glorious amalgamation of moods. Something new is revealed with repeated listens.
Finally, ‘Slip & Shake-Do The Snake (short version)’ concludes the set with a damn cool industrial space rocker. Dig those funky hip-hoppy rhythms and vocals that are ranting and helium efx’d, all rocking along at a noisily cool grooving pulse. You could dance to this (with the right drugs).
INTERVIEW with Chris Phinney by Jerry Kranitz
JK: The first Macroglossia was only the third tape in the Harsh Reality catalog. Why did you decide to return to it?
CP: Me and Richard (Martin) were recording together and Stuart Locke came over and while we were recording Mike Jackson showed up and they joined in. Mike and Stuart are only on songs 2 and 3 (on Side B).
JK: So you and Richard just happened to be recording and you decided to call it Macroglossia?
CP: Yeah, because me and Richard had already done the first tape as Macroglossia. So we decided this is Macroglossia. When we started out recording the tape we did the first four songs and those were Macroglossia. And then we just happened to have some special guest artists on the rest.
JK: And this was it for Macroglossia? There weren’t any other tapes on other labels?
CP: No. We never did any others. Whenever Richard was over here we were recording as Viktimized Karcass.
JK: The opening track, ‘Methyl Isocyanate’, I couldn’t resist Googling that and the definition I got is “is a chemical used in the manufacture of polyurethane foam, pesticides and plastics.” Whassup with that title?
CP: It’s just a chemical name, no story to it whatsoever. It just sounded cool. It was probably on the side of a can of polyurethane, which they don’t make anymore. So I probably pulled it off the side of a can that was sitting right there.
JK: That’s a fun insight into how you can get song titles. Just spotted it on the side of a can.
CP: Yeah, that’s how we got lots of titles. Off of cigar boxes and shit like that (laughs).
JK: Musically it was a cool mixture of contrasts. You’ve got pleasant melodies, but also noise and lots of sci-fi freakiness too.
CP: We were just jamming. And we had a lot better gear than when we did the first Macroglossia of course.
JK: I liked ‘Be Quiet & Listen The Pain’, which has eerie spoken/sung vocals. Someone has lead vocals and another is murmuring in the background. Who did the lead vocals?
CP: Richard was on the lead and I was mumbling some shit.
JK: My favorite track is ‘As It Was/Carnivorous’. I took a whole paragraph to describe that one.
CP: That’s when Mike Jackson and Stuart Locke showed up. It was probably the first time Stuart Locke recorded in his entire life. He wasn’t a musician, he was a fellow painter.
JK: So he just showed up and you drafted him into recording with you?
CP: Well, we were recording and we weren’t going to quit recording.
JK: If you’re going to hang out you’re going to participate.
CP: We’re going to finish this release.
JK: ‘Slip & Shake-Do The Snake (short version)’…. Is there a longer version somewhere?
CP: We couldn’t fit it all on the tape. The longer version I have no idea what happened to it. It might be on a master, it might have gotten recorded over.
JK: So you put (short version) as part of the title because you knew there was more, whether or not anyone would ever hear it or not.
CP: Exactly.
JK: What is the cover? I always have to ask you that.
CP: The cover on the tape is the tile from my master bathroom floor. Got away from the grave stones for a change.