The Experimental Pop Band
Discgrotesque
Bungalow

Pastel and lace! The title on the debut (?) album from this duo who call themselves The Experimental Pop Band (EPB) sure is fitting. The EPB twosome, Davey Woodward and Chris Galvin, are yet another trip-hop combo to come out of Bristol. They're not to compare with Massive Attack, Tricky or Portishead. EPB is more like the modern freak-beat and slack coolness as performed by Beck.

Discgrotesque is a tongue-in-cheek dance through the grotesque world of discotheques, and tells small stories from life on its way. The lyrics are rather odd and curious, as you can see from titles like Chewing Gum Friends, Mental Health Outpatients Clinic, and London Pregnancy Test 1976. And, the music is even more bizarre. Imagine a strange brew as a result of a mixture of, say, 1/3 the Fall and 1/3 Pulp. Then throw in some pieces of tilted and sleazed-up easy listening. Finally add some drum loops and programming to spice up the whole thing. Bon appetit!

All the songs on this album is written by Davey (former "target-man" of the Brilliant Corners - maybe this corner-kick by EPB will give him a brilliant goal?), who sings, plays guitars (both plugged and unplugged), bass, keyboards, and does drum loops and percussion. Chris handles bass, ac. guitar, keyboards, percussion, drum machine and looping. They've even had a couple of assistants adding loops and dots. I don't find all the material on this record to be acceptable. But there are enough to make it worth listening to. Personal uppers: the final track, Dead Sea, is the best, along with Frisbee and Rocky Path, with the line: "Purple cowboys, spacemen from Norway" (!?) There are many other geographical names dropped in the lyrics. If some of the stories in the lyrics are true, I guess Davey Woodward must be keen on traveling.

So, if you want to prepare yourself for a long and hot summer, trying to find a pleasant mix to cool down with - The Experimental Pop Band could do the trick.

Copyright © 1998 Håvard Oppøyen