Primal Scream
XTRMNTR

THE REVIEW

This morning, the phone alarm rang at 7:30 again, so after pretending to ignore it for at least 20 minutes, I decided to get up. My roommate is still sleeping deeply, as he never has anything to do, whereas I have to take at least a 45-minute bus ride to get to my fantastic workplace. As usual, there's nothing interesting on TV, I just want a bit of music, even just two notes, even if it’s MTV, please, anything, don't leave me smoking a cigarette in the silence of the kitchen... Oh well, nothing. I leave the house and finally decide to blast some good music, so I slowly scroll through the list of artists on my MP3 (unfortunately, I can't afford an iPod, sorry). My fingers slide up and down the scroll screen, as I’ve done millions of times before, then suddenly inspiration strikes: Primal Scream, of which I have the entire discography... Screamadelica I’ve overdosed on, just like "Vanishing Point", so I choose "XTRMNTR".

As I slowly head towards the bus stop, Mani's bass begins to wake up my still-asleep neurons and maybe even that 80% of my brain I’ll never use gets a little jolt. "Kill All Hippies" is like that, it moves sinuously, with fantastic electronic drum tempos, with the guitar powerfully maintaining the rhythm in the background, and who wouldn’t want the Hippies dead??

Then number two comes on, one of the most violent things I've ever heard (and I've heard my share of sonic beatings, trust me). The guitar riff is a simple Rock n' Roll, not even that original, but the phenomenal idea is to dirty the sound to the extreme, so much that you can’t even tell what the devil is playing!!! I imagine Mr. Gillespie during recording telling his guys to push harder, go faster, make that damn sound explode... The plane takes off, and I’m happy.

And when "Swastika Eyes" starts, I'm trying to get on the bus at all costs, willing to pay twice the ticket price just to get a little space, I don't ask to breathe, I just want to get on.... And while all these people look at me like I'm an alien, I can barely hold back the urge to start dancing like crazy, maybe even stay in my underwear in this scorching summer.

When "Keep Your Dreams" plays, I’m crossing a really beautiful part of the city, outside the window the trees stretch and almost poke me in the eye, but I don't pay attention, at least not until the song continues to numb my senses. When I'm almost at my destination and start making my way through the indifferent people separating me from the exit, and after the driver gives me his worst look when I tried to exit through the entrance door, the final trio starts with "MBV Arkestra", "Swastika Eyes (Chemical Brothers rmx)" and "Shoot Speed/Kill Light", and so I’m emotionally justified to elbow violently anyone in front of me, to stomp on feet, curse, and shove the annoying kid who keeps staring at me nonstop. I made it!!!! The album is coming to an end and today I believe I've won my personal war against everything and everyone. Tomorrow I think I’ll choose the same album, considering the results... At the office, my boss is already working and smiles at me; she's a beautiful Chinese girl who’s expecting a baby....

Life in Beijing is tough, but I'll get used to it.