Black Dice
Creature Comforts

New York City: I imagine the Black Dice wandering around Queens, smoking joint after joint, drawing inspiration from the neighborhood's dirty yet captivating corners, before retreating to their recording studio (which surely resembles a rundown and abandoned warehouse, with walls thick enough to withstand their noisy attacks).

It was likely in this setting that "Creature Comforts", their 2004 album, was born. Their approach to music begins with a little guitar that gives off a folk vibe, strumming here and there, with electronics galore: layers of noise chaos produced in an academic manner, yet with a distinct anarchic touch, their trademark. The result? It varies from album to album. From this one, they create a digital meadow covered in analog dew, where animals, seemingly transplanted from Mercury's underground, run and flutter. But how much racket do these animals make? You have no idea. It feels like witnessing one of Aesop's fables under the influence of hallucinogens.

The shorter tracks, one or two minutes long, flirt with industrial, while the longer ones craft a unique psychedelia made of seemingly improvised noises. Their favorite instrument is the oscillator, but they match well with any low-budget electronics. Yet... yet, every sound seems placed where it is due to a keen search. These guys have an insatiable desire to experiment and to tune your ears to strange frequencies as well. If you're looking to travel, not in an introspective way, but in a fun, ironic, and above all, creatively innocent adventure, this is your journey.

The first time I listened to the second track "Treetops," I envisioned a dolphin guiding me into its underwater world, warning me that its parents care about image, so mind your manners. In the end, I don’t recall exactly, but I made quite a mess. Eventually, I found myself in a courtroom being questioned by a shark.

RECOMMENDED: to those who are creative, to those who find a succession of street noises musical, to those who are crazy about silly things (and to sodo_caustico... we await your return).
NOT RECOMMENDED: to everyone else