Mark Aubert "The Escape Tape"

Listen to/Download The Escape Tape

San Fransisco's Mark Aubert makes mind-melting cassette tape trip-hop, essentially making him the lo-fi equivalent of DJ Shadow or RJD2. There, I said it. I can't be any more blunt than that. And if Mr. Aubert's the type who despises being compared to others, I sincerely apologize. But this is one of the highest compliments I can give.

All those weird, fuzzy-eyed, cotton-mouthed feelings I get when I listen to this album are eerily reminiscent of the first time I ever heard Shadow's Endtroducing way back in high school. Simply put, The Escape Tape easily is the chillest trip hop record I've heard since I was 17. OK, perhaps my (admittedly) limited knowledge of the trip hop's genre's back catalog could be considered a bit of a handicap here. Maybe. Who cares. Whatever. I'm just writing the first thing that that comes to the top of my head. Incidentally, listening to The Escape Tape makes me feel like I'm floating out of the top of my head.

For example, tracks like "Outlook" carefully creep into your consciousness and wrap around your brain like a warm, furry caterpillar. The intimate snaps, crackles and pops of the vinyl draw you in, chimes twinkle brightly in your aural peripherals, while looped string-pad samples build and decay, creating a pulsing sensation like some organic, glowing neon heart beating inside an alien womb. This may be a lot of hyperbole to digest, but this relaxing instrumental music certainly encourages the mind to wander.

I mentioned lo-fi earlier... Yes. But it's that most wonderful kind of low fi. Aubert skillfully mixes all his turntable wizardry via battery operated cassette recorders. Every sound, every sample is ever so slightly distorted...so that if you really crank the volume up high, The Escape Tape has potential to knock you on your ass and cause a bad case of couch-lock. Yes, I know I'm making a lot of references to being stoned, but...uh...yeah. Yep.

The Escape Tape is a fantastic listen, and perfect background music for coming down after a long night of raving, or whatever the hell it is you kids do these days. Dim the lights, smoke a bowl and enjoy. -Matt

Memes "Awww Shucks!"

Download Awww Shucks!

I wanted to call a band "Memes". That's how this all began. I thought it was original and clever, and had a lot of staying power in today's post (present?) YouTube/Digg/4Chan world. Most of all, I thought it would inspire me to get a hip, scene oriented "indie" band together...and perhaps even get laid.

But it was not to be. Myspace graciously informed me that there were at least 200 other bands with some variation on the word "Memes" in their name. Myspace also graciously led me to the page of San Francisco breakbeat/IDM band, also called Memes.

All I can say is this band is worthy of the name. They can have it, and I won't complain. In fact, all other bands calling themselves "Memes" should immediately find new band names. Memes' album Awww Shucks! is (according to Bandcamp) a collection of tracks recorded between 2004 and 2006, finally mastered in 2010. If this is true, and this is the music they were making back 4 -6 years ago, then Memes are already ahead of the curve, miles beyond their musical peers, forging exciting new paths in the electronic/sample-driven music landscape.

Awww Shucks! features some of the most sonically diverse, chill-inducing instrumental music. Most of what you hear (about 90%) are sounds sampled from old vinyl jazz, funk and soul records, which gives the album an instantly timeless vibe and makes what I'm hearing all the more impressive. The artists Memes borrows from aren't rolling over in their graves (if they're even deceased), they're bobbing their heads!

From start to finish, this record is thoroughly enjoyable, stimulating and relaxing. I'm not going to go into any more specifics, you just need to hear it for yourself. I only wish this awesome LP had more eye-grabbing artwork. - Matt

Listen to "Pinochle Sandwich"