HR103 - X Ray Pop - Pink Harpoon For Girls - C60 — 1989
SIDE A:
LES PETITS CHIENS REVE D'ANE FOLIE ELECTRIQUE METALLIQUE PIGEON MORT FEMMES DE 35 ANS ACID MAISON MUSIC LE PACTE L'AMOUR VIOLENT THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS |
SIDE B:
LES VERRES LA SEXY DENTISTE DANS LA TOTO TEA LADY LES SOURIRES JE BOUFFE LES GENS SURS LE BAMBIN VAMPIRE LA TANIERE DU MALAISE OUBLIES-MOI |
REVIEW by Jerry Kranitz
From France, X Ray Pop were founded by the duo of Didier ‘Doc’ Pilot and Zouka Dzaza, though their catalog reveals a varying lineup. On Pink Harpoon For Girls, the personnel include Pilot on guitar and synth, with Zouka on the Side A vocals and Pam-Pam covering vocals on Side B.
I’ve heard several of X Ray Pop’s tapes and love their music. They are the epitome of 'lo-fi charm’. The music is characterized by Doc’s guitar, the simplest of programmed synths, and the delicate Pop vocals of Zouka and Pam-Pam. Doc is an accomplished, multi-faceted guitarist, which along with the vocals and basic synths gives X Ray Pop their distinctive sound. Think Françoise Hardy for the underground Pop avant-garde.
There are 20 songs on this 60-minute cassette album. We’ve got lo-fi, Yé-Yé, avant-Country songs with Pilot’s intricate guitar licks and the gentle French vocals. Other tunes feature hyper-kinetic punk, and still others aggressive rock ‘n’ roll. And we’ve even got some Jazz-Pop-Punk. The vocals are mostly consistent, but from one song to the next you can never tell where the guitar and synths will go. We’re treated to lots of complex guitar, always accompanied by either minimal beat driven synth patterns, goofy good time party synths, and/or quirky spaced out effects.
Some of the songs are seriously catchy. ‘Les Verres’ is one of my favorites, being an energetically zippy tune. You could throw your back out trying to groove to it. ‘Dans La Toto’ is like a Punk/Jazz-Lounge high-speed Hoedown. And ‘The People Of The Abyss’ is different, being an experimental instrumental with exploratory guitar, dizzying bell-like patterns, and miscellaneous effects. An outstanding set!
From France, X Ray Pop were founded by the duo of Didier ‘Doc’ Pilot and Zouka Dzaza, though their catalog reveals a varying lineup. On Pink Harpoon For Girls, the personnel include Pilot on guitar and synth, with Zouka on the Side A vocals and Pam-Pam covering vocals on Side B.
I’ve heard several of X Ray Pop’s tapes and love their music. They are the epitome of 'lo-fi charm’. The music is characterized by Doc’s guitar, the simplest of programmed synths, and the delicate Pop vocals of Zouka and Pam-Pam. Doc is an accomplished, multi-faceted guitarist, which along with the vocals and basic synths gives X Ray Pop their distinctive sound. Think Françoise Hardy for the underground Pop avant-garde.
There are 20 songs on this 60-minute cassette album. We’ve got lo-fi, Yé-Yé, avant-Country songs with Pilot’s intricate guitar licks and the gentle French vocals. Other tunes feature hyper-kinetic punk, and still others aggressive rock ‘n’ roll. And we’ve even got some Jazz-Pop-Punk. The vocals are mostly consistent, but from one song to the next you can never tell where the guitar and synths will go. We’re treated to lots of complex guitar, always accompanied by either minimal beat driven synth patterns, goofy good time party synths, and/or quirky spaced out effects.
Some of the songs are seriously catchy. ‘Les Verres’ is one of my favorites, being an energetically zippy tune. You could throw your back out trying to groove to it. ‘Dans La Toto’ is like a Punk/Jazz-Lounge high-speed Hoedown. And ‘The People Of The Abyss’ is different, being an experimental instrumental with exploratory guitar, dizzying bell-like patterns, and miscellaneous effects. An outstanding set!