Xploding Plastix – The Donca Matic Singalongs (Sony)
December 11th, 2003 by soyo
New Norwegian Music = crazyness = great tunes = bands with odd names that don’t take themselves too seriously.
Sitting on the crazed tour bus out of Norway are some already familiar friends: Jaga Jazzist, Ralph Myers and the Jack Herren Band, Royksopp, Koop et al. But I reckon driving it (or at least hanging to the axles underneath in Indiana Jones stylee) are Jens Petter Nilsen and Hallvard Wennersberg Hagen, the duo behind Xploding Plastix. For those that missed 2001′s snappily titled album ‘Amateur girls go proskirt agents’, may I suggest you spend your christmas music vouchers from your Auntie on ‘The Donca Matic Singalongs’.
Most people who will have heard of Xploding Plastix will probably have done so via the Plastic Surgery 3 compilation on Hospital released a couple of years ago. Stand out track for me on the comp, and caned by the usual D’n'B and not so usual suspects (Bukem, Mr Scruff, Fabio, John Peel, Coldcut, Rob Luis, Giles Peterson) was XP’s ‘Treat Me Mean, I Need The Reputation’- a daft mix of daft beats, organic sounds and I’m-oh-so-happy-I-can’t-stop-smiling vibe.
Don’t be fooled though, The Donca Matic Singalongs is not a D’n'B album, far from it. Opener ‘Donca Matic’ is a downtempo number, all echoey pads, moog synth sounds, with any suggestion of saccharine being removed by snatches of high speed skattering drums hinting of things to come. ‘Geigerteller’ is next, and sounds like it could have been a track used in Resevoir Dogs – surfer rock twangy guitars and real(sounding)drums. ‘The cave in proper’ is pure electronica with mad drum patterns sounding like Aphex Twin in a slightly less bludgening mode. Eek-a-mouse does his excellent bombiddlybom toasting over the dubby ‘the snarling amble’, providing some light relief. Another guest,Sarah Cracknell of St Etienne, adds her vocal talents to another change of style. The wistful pop of ‘Sunset Spirals’ puts me in mind of a strummy ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My head’. ‘Tripwire’ and ‘One Bullet Fits All’ takes us into more new territory, breakbeat and some impossibly fast,yet never dark D’n'B.
A tune for all DJs that really want to stand out when they start their set ‘The Famous Biting Guy’, sounds like a slightly more electronic QSO playing an intro for Sammy Davis Jnr a Las Vegas hotel(!). ‘Dizzy Blonde’ picks up with a now familar moogy theme, twisting and cavorting into a vaguely Bently Rhythm Ace sounding bouncer. Next up, ‘Cashmere Tarmac’ is back in DJ Food/Aphex Twin beats mode. ‘Huncher’ closes the album with a smile, being an uplifter with some nice blues-ish humming.
The variety of styles ‘The Donca Matic Singalongs’ could easily lead to Xploding Plastix being accused of style and wit over substance. Rather than appearing to be showing off though, the trip through genres seems more a product of Xploding Plastix’s reluctance to conform, you get the feeling these guys get bored easily. Although the style hopping can be a little jarring at times, one can easily forgive XP as they do it with humour and fun. I’m sure they would be great live too!. Eastnor 2004?
Soyo
The Dona Matic Singalongs is out on Sony in early 2004
3.5 out of 5
