#22 Hype Williams - One Nation
Do you remember Boards of Canada's Geogaddi? It was their cracked monument, an overlong, sort of sinister, maximalist lug of an album that, while harder to love than the more refined Music Has the Right to Children, arguably contained stretches of their best music. Hype Williams's One Nation is more or less Geogaddi on steroids, or Geogaddi gone to fuck, or #fuckyeahgeogaddi on Tumblr, or Geogaddi after snorting something cheap from a headshop.
I did not fall in love with 'One Nation' easily. I first listened to it while Christmas (Eve) shopping in Navan Shopping centre, and its slightly caustic mix of whining pitch-bent noise, samples and break beats made me feel uneasy and flustered. Of course, the animatronic santa clauses and sweat-drenched Navan farmers who jostled past me to get at the Family Guy Christmas slippers in Dunnes Stores did not help the overall listening experience. But something about the album stuck with me; I think it was the all that mumbo jumbo about peregrine falcons, erect penises (I think?) and reincarnation that played out at the end. Whatever it was, I gave One Nation a second chance.
And then I listened to it incessantly. It cast a spell of sorts. It has a kind of Dadaist power to fascinate. You feel that Hype Williams (there are two of them) squat grinning at the centre of the whole chaotic 'One Nation' experience, protecting what might either be secrets of great profundity or just nothing - a bit like the KLF once did in their music. An image comes to mind: all these huge metal discs spinning so fast that a musical wind whistles over them, and on their glowing surfaces you can see dim projections of youtube stoner junk and pulsing gifs. It's like the soundtrack to the internet's never ending secret picture show. It's very of the moment.
MP3: Hype Williams-Jah
8 comments:
I listened to this album when I was in the bath a few weeks ago. I had to fight the urge to get out and change the record. That's always the sign of a good album, stuff that's great from first listen usually lacks depth.
Latest album slowly sneaking deep into my brain is Mark Van Hoen's The Revenant Diary. Heard it?
I have not heard that album, no. I am going to go check it on youtube now, however. Hype Williams might not grow on you though; I don't think it's ever going to be for everyone. It's a bit harsh.
I have not heard that album, no. I am going to go check it on youtube now, however. Hype Williams might not grow on you though; I don't think it's ever going to be for everyone. It's a bit harsh.
Just back to reiterate how good that album is. I'm hooked. Hope you got/get the chance to check it out (and think, "my god, this is DIRE).
Lucy
This song reminds me exactly of riding on these as a kid: http://www.ride-extravaganza.com/intermediate/scrambler/ ...that constant grind in the background is just like the sound of the ride.
Ha that's a very apt thing for this sort of music. It would work with any gnarly carnival stuff I'd bet.
@Lucewoman got that album and going to listen to it over the next couple of days. Will post my thoughts on it then :)
Ha that's a very apt thing for this sort of music. It would work with any gnarly carnival stuff I'd bet.
@Lucewoman got that album and going to listen to it over the next couple of days. Will post my thoughts on it then :)
@Lucewoman believe it or not that Mark Van Hoen album was on my shuffle all this week, just didnt realise what it was called. Excellent stuff. Will blog it tomorrow.
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