Luna Kafé record review |
Norway - Full Moon 195 - 08/02/12
Koppen Since I'm drinking coffee out of a Koppen mug (not every day, but quite a few times a week), I'd better check out the new album as well. Oh, yes, just to make things clear: Koppen (or kopp) translates into 'mug' (like in 'drinking cup') in English. My coffee mug is in fact a Koppen release entitled Objectified (Metronomicon Audio 2011), which was a mug plus a CD-R. It was a limited edition release, counting 150 numbered copies. I've got #110. Koppen (AKA Fredrik Andreas Larsen) started out as a one man band/project. Larsen put out his first album, Truck Drivin' Songs on Norwegian indie label Metronomicon Audio collective (you'd better check out our long-time running label match) in 2003. Koppen started out playing weird electronic music with plenty oddball samples from different sources (such as children's records, Japanese B-movies, and old country tracks), leaving a mixture, or potion, of 'hip-hop, folk, funk, bricolage, glitch and pop'. At one point the Koppen project evolved into a rap-group counting 6-7 heads. Larsen then moved to Japan for a couple of years, to improve/refine/expand his love for Japan (also known as Japanophilia). This channel of love leads straight into the music, which holds many a reference to Japanese culture, sub-culture, and history. Cut and paste style. Sampled under foot. Good Kopp/Bad Kopp is Koppen's fifth album, and quite a massive piece of work. It's also quite a danceable platter, a rhythmical and colourful feast. The album also comes as an extended record, holding remixes (by artists such as Captain Credible, Easy, Mesak, and Satanicpornocultshop). This is glitchy pop electronica. Pop-art-art-pop. Today the Koppen crew counts long time producer Sissyfus, Håvard Ese Eliassen on saxophone, Oui Oui on vocals/keyboard, 2mas on vocals/keyboard, and Ergo on vocals/percussion. It's a entertaining record. Or, it holds entertaining tracks, but, as I've already mentioned: it's massive. Massive as in tiresome, or exhausting in too big portions. This is probably music better formatted for clubs with dark corners and sweaty floors. Plus strobe and neon lights, and colourful and tasteful long drinks at the bar.Copyright © 2012 Håvard Oppøyen
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| You may also want to check out our Koppen articles/reviews: Let's Eat Crazyroom!! It's Time To Be Cool Like A Boy!!, My Fashion Statement Is Scrambled Eggs, Objectified, Strømmen Gamelan City, Truckdriving Songs. |
| © 2012 Luna Kafé |