There has always been a somewhat contentious, but notable relationship between conventional “pop” music and the more abrasive spectrum of the harsh and electronic. Throbbing Gristle were never hesitant to put a soft gem out like “United” or “Distant Dreams” alongside dissonance like “Subhuman.” More obscure, but more jarring to yours truly was hearing Japanese noise gods Hijokaidan sneaking a faithful cover of Hawkwind’s “Silver Machine” on their Tapes album. Recently there’s folks like Fuck Buttons and Wolf Eyes who are more than happy to mix it with dance and punk, respectively. Dino Felipe (Fukktron, Old Bombs), on the other hand, takes a more literal approach and instead creates a purely pop album with a decidedly noise aesthetic.
Felipe covers a wide variety of what all meets the rather broad requirements for pop music across these 14 tracks. Regardless of the intention, all of the songs come across as covered in some thick grimy coating that can only come from equipment used to make the ugliest sounds for too many years. Not exactly harsh or noise based, but the intentionally murky production is there. A lot of this comes out on top of the vocals, but even the obtuse filtering and layering cannot hide the 60s girl group influenced falsetto vocals on “Stuck on You” and “Willow Waly.”
1980s pop gets a nod too, both on the cover of Haunted House’s “Chandeliers” and “What’s Wrong With Me?” The former’s early synth and electronic piano led melodies provide an odd counterpoint for the harsher vocals, but somehow the two work. The latter is purely a product of that era’s technology and sensibility: a cheap Casio beatbox, noise guitar, and a synth line right out of a Rick James album. Even the 1950s is represented in “Been Waiting” though it feels less Buddy Holly and more Alan Vega/Martin Rev with its abrasive elements.
The other tracks, while they may lack as specific of a temporal reference point are no less enjoyable or catchy. Tracks like “6 Feet Under” have that naïve, bedroom rock charm that early Ween albums exuded before they decided to take themselves more seriously. “Just Call Me” and “I Don’t Want To” throw a bit of punk into the equation, but more in a faster beat and slightly more aggressive approach to both the guitar and the vocals, but never straying from the simple and catchy nature of the tracks.
The No Fun Productions label seems like an odd place for this strange little disc to rear its head, considering it is a label much more known for promoting the harsher and more violent ends of the spectrum. Given the leaning towards pop filtered through a noise lens, it’s not entirely bizarre, but it admittedly is much more conventional than I would have expected, even for all its idiosyncrasies.
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