HR115 - Imbroglio - Strap On The Device Of Disease - C60 — 1989
Side A:
YES SIR, NO SIR DEVICE PART 1 |
Side B:
SCARRED & BROKEN DEVICE PART 2 |
REVIEW by Jerry Kranitz
Imbroglio were the electronic quartet of Chris Phinney, Mike Jackson, Michael Humphreys, and Tim Price. Strap On The Device Of Disease was the second of three cassette albums they released. Jackson had relocated to Boston, leaving the trio of Phinney, Humphreys, and Price to record this one.
Side A opens with ‘Yes Sir, No Sir’, a darkly gothic soundtrack with the combination of simple yet pleasantly tinkling melody, droning tones, spacey atmospherics and effects. As the piece progresses the tones become more rumbling assertive, with flashes of lightly whirring intensity. More effects kick in: bird calls, alien bleeps, spiraling oscillations, and it all gradually builds to a higher volume ensemble. Later a spectral chant voice moans what might be lyrics, sounding like a voice from an early Residents album. Later the lyrics become clearer, at first a still ghostly “Yes Sir, No Sir”, and then a more agitated “Yes Fucking Sir! No Fucking Sir!”, and it’s all within what has now become a cacophony of space effects. And the core melody still tinkles away. ‘Device Part 1’ shifts the theme only slightly, with whirring machinery, a reverberating drone, crashing blasts, and miscellaneous freaky effects. Despite a playful jamming melody, this is an effects and soundscapes parade, with otherworldly voices and a feeling of sci-fi soundtrack menace.
Side B include two tracks: ‘Scarred & Broken’ and ‘Device Part 2’. It starts off with a heavenly sense of drift, being much more floating and cerebral than the A side music. There are effects that add an element of alien zoo to the mix, but the guiding melody consists of extended notes that waft off into space, and the overall feel is of a slowly meditative magic carpet ride in the cosmos. The only thing that puts a damper on the otherwise enjoyable ride is spoken word bummer lyrics going on about “a world of shit and destruction!”.
INTERVIEW with Chris Phinney by Jerry Kranitz
Jerry Kranitz (JK): How did Imbroglio come about?
Chris Phinney (CP): The first Imbroglio tape was recorded with Mike Jackson, Tim Price, and Mike Humphreys. We recorded the Frugality tape and put it out on Jackson’s Xkurzhen Sound label. That’s when he still lived in Memphis. (Later reissued on Harsh Reality as HR311.) But Mike had moved to Boston when Strap On The Device Of Disease was done. Tim Price called and asked if we could do some recording and I said sure. So we did it. Tim had the Korg MS20. Humphreys did some noise.
JK: I only remember Mike Humphreys name from the duo he did with Mike Jackson on the Isolation tape (HR098).
CP: Exactly. But then we did the third and final Imbroglio with the three of us plus Jackson again. That was Slimy Snails & Crocodile Tails released on the Alternate Media label. (Later reissued on Harsh Reality as HR295.)
JK: You said you didn’t want to do this tape. Why not?
CP: Jackson was not there to be the band Imroglio was.
JK: So I guess you didn’t want to do the third one either. (Laughing)
CP: No, I wanted to do the third one as it was the full line up.
JK: No instrumentation is listed on the tape. Who played what?
CP: Tim Price played the MS20, I played Korg Poly 8, and Humphreys played my ARP Axxe.
JK: Did you like the third Imbroglio tape better because of Jackson’s participation?
CP: Yes, of course.
JK: Who did the vocals, “Yes Fucking Sir! No Fucking Sir!”?
CP: I did the vocals.
JK: That was funny. And then on Side B, “a world of shit and destruction!”.
CP: (Laughs)
JK: I think the music on this tape is pretty decent.
CP: Yes, it is a decent release, for being minus a core member.
JK: I’ll look forward later in the catalog hearing the other two Imbroglio tapes that include Mike Jackson.
CP: I think Frugality is the best of the three.
Imbroglio were the electronic quartet of Chris Phinney, Mike Jackson, Michael Humphreys, and Tim Price. Strap On The Device Of Disease was the second of three cassette albums they released. Jackson had relocated to Boston, leaving the trio of Phinney, Humphreys, and Price to record this one.
Side A opens with ‘Yes Sir, No Sir’, a darkly gothic soundtrack with the combination of simple yet pleasantly tinkling melody, droning tones, spacey atmospherics and effects. As the piece progresses the tones become more rumbling assertive, with flashes of lightly whirring intensity. More effects kick in: bird calls, alien bleeps, spiraling oscillations, and it all gradually builds to a higher volume ensemble. Later a spectral chant voice moans what might be lyrics, sounding like a voice from an early Residents album. Later the lyrics become clearer, at first a still ghostly “Yes Sir, No Sir”, and then a more agitated “Yes Fucking Sir! No Fucking Sir!”, and it’s all within what has now become a cacophony of space effects. And the core melody still tinkles away. ‘Device Part 1’ shifts the theme only slightly, with whirring machinery, a reverberating drone, crashing blasts, and miscellaneous freaky effects. Despite a playful jamming melody, this is an effects and soundscapes parade, with otherworldly voices and a feeling of sci-fi soundtrack menace.
Side B include two tracks: ‘Scarred & Broken’ and ‘Device Part 2’. It starts off with a heavenly sense of drift, being much more floating and cerebral than the A side music. There are effects that add an element of alien zoo to the mix, but the guiding melody consists of extended notes that waft off into space, and the overall feel is of a slowly meditative magic carpet ride in the cosmos. The only thing that puts a damper on the otherwise enjoyable ride is spoken word bummer lyrics going on about “a world of shit and destruction!”.
INTERVIEW with Chris Phinney by Jerry Kranitz
Jerry Kranitz (JK): How did Imbroglio come about?
Chris Phinney (CP): The first Imbroglio tape was recorded with Mike Jackson, Tim Price, and Mike Humphreys. We recorded the Frugality tape and put it out on Jackson’s Xkurzhen Sound label. That’s when he still lived in Memphis. (Later reissued on Harsh Reality as HR311.) But Mike had moved to Boston when Strap On The Device Of Disease was done. Tim Price called and asked if we could do some recording and I said sure. So we did it. Tim had the Korg MS20. Humphreys did some noise.
JK: I only remember Mike Humphreys name from the duo he did with Mike Jackson on the Isolation tape (HR098).
CP: Exactly. But then we did the third and final Imbroglio with the three of us plus Jackson again. That was Slimy Snails & Crocodile Tails released on the Alternate Media label. (Later reissued on Harsh Reality as HR295.)
JK: You said you didn’t want to do this tape. Why not?
CP: Jackson was not there to be the band Imroglio was.
JK: So I guess you didn’t want to do the third one either. (Laughing)
CP: No, I wanted to do the third one as it was the full line up.
JK: No instrumentation is listed on the tape. Who played what?
CP: Tim Price played the MS20, I played Korg Poly 8, and Humphreys played my ARP Axxe.
JK: Did you like the third Imbroglio tape better because of Jackson’s participation?
CP: Yes, of course.
JK: Who did the vocals, “Yes Fucking Sir! No Fucking Sir!”?
CP: I did the vocals.
JK: That was funny. And then on Side B, “a world of shit and destruction!”.
CP: (Laughs)
JK: I think the music on this tape is pretty decent.
CP: Yes, it is a decent release, for being minus a core member.
JK: I’ll look forward later in the catalog hearing the other two Imbroglio tapes that include Mike Jackson.
CP: I think Frugality is the best of the three.