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It's a label showdown!
Metronomicon Audio vs. Jester Records - Round 48
coverpic coverpic Cyrano & Armageddon: Club Soda 2012
  (2012 Metronomicon Audio: MEAU.0048.SODA)
vs.
When: Misshimmisshimmisshim...
  (2011 Jester Records TRICK-048)

Welcome to round 48 in the label showdown series between Metronomicon Audio and Jester Records! Since we've more or less totally missed out on reviewing the output of these two great labels, we are going through their entire catalogues, matching the releases from each label consecutively against each other. Humorously counting goalsIt's a GOAL! and giving out yellowOooops, a yellow card! and redOooops, a red card! cards, soccer style - but first of all reviewing the music. For more introductory information on this label match, see round 1.

Match preview
Club Soda 2012 is is presented in a soda bottle.
coverpic coverpic

The When comes as a digipack CD.
coverpic coverpic coverpic

The match

After their Surfing USB-key release, Metronimocon raised the bar for this release, selling it as a bottle of soda including a download cardIt's a GOAL!! The bottle comes with no content declaration, but is probably safe to drink, although for my part I instantly got the urge to buy all Metronomicon releases and start writing about each and every one of them. The download consists of 10 MP3-files in 320 kbps quality along with a photo of the bottle and a nice poster image of soda-delivery-boys Cyrano & Armageddon.

Listening to "Nordick" this is the first time I've noticed the use of voice pitch correction effects on a Metronomicon release, and it doesn't seem out of place on this dancable and merry synth-pop tuneIt's a GOAL!. "Bebe" goes further into 80's disco territory, while "Feeling Alone" moves on to 90's Eurodisco. "Feeling Alone" ups the tempo, but slows down for the chorus. "Don't Want To Find Out" rips away with a noisy and almost industrial intro and has a fine balance between naked eerie parts, catchy disco and light experimental mayhem, a clear highlight. "Cherish'em All" features some fine saxophone playing by Dag Stiberg, while "Just Do It" ups the pace once again, making it feel smurfy, but still kind of anthem-likeIt's a GOAL!. "UiO", which I guess stands for The University of Oslo, is funnily enough the darkest track here, an instrumental "tribute" perhaps, with thunder and explosions and the falsetto voice of Truls Heggero. Ending the album is "C.O.U. Megamix", where Sissyfus also joins the party, DJ-mixing through the almost 14 minutes long track. Over a steady disco beat, this flows into space or trance, large parts here reminds me of Ozric TentaclesIt's a GOAL! or their electronic offspring Eat Static, all very competently executed. A high point in Metronomicon historyIt's a GOAL!.

To sum it up: Metronomicon go disco-partying with lots of synths, extremely fine packaging, a very cool poster, and a high-flying psytrancing Sissyfus boosts this release up to one of their finest outings, which now is also available as a digital album.

Misshimmisshimmisshim... sees Lars Pedersen once again collaborating with Haakon Ellingsen, almost making this another Last JamesIt's a GOAL! album. I'm not that familiar with their output, but musically I guess it is safe to say that Misshimmisshimmisshim... is closer to Last James than most other recent When releases. This means 60's rainbow-coloured pop tunes with swirling, phasing, echoing, reverbing and flanging effectsIt's a GOAL!, although the partly sample-based way of building the songs also adds a more modern feel to at least some of the songs, especially when utilizing loops. Also rhythmically the 60's feel is sometimes left behind, so you may say that the album is based on craftily recreating the psychedelic popIt's a GOAL! of the late 60's combined with latter days studio trickery and slightly updated rhythmic patterns ("Vertigo", "Beaches"). The title track, subtitled "Fuck You:Bela Lugosi Is Not Dead", is another cup of tea, a slightly sinister and more experimental detour. At the heart are an enjoyable collection of good songs thoughIt's a GOAL!, some immediately catchy ("Hyde", "The Scream"), others growing on you and inviting repeated listeningsIt's a GOAL!. By the way, the title of the album is probably a reference to a well known "Paul is dead" clue: When "I'm So Tired/Blackbird" (White Album) is played backwards, you are supposed to imagine hearing John say, "Paul is a dead man. Miss him miss him miss him".

To sum it up: Together, Lars Pedersen and Haakon Ellingsen has produced the most enjoyable pop-psych When release in quite a few years.

Match result: Metronomicon Audio 5 (It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!) - Jester Records 5 (It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!)

THE LABEL TABLE
# Metronomicon Audio (MA) Jester Records (JR) MA JR
01 C.O.U.: Darklow Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL! Ulver: Themes From William ... Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL! 1 4
02 C.O.U.: Sellout EP It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card! Esperanza: Esperanza Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a red card! 2 1
03 C.O.U.: Bestboy Electric Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL! Arcturus: Disguised Masters It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card! 1 1
04 Cyrano & C.O.U.: s/t It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL! When: Psychedelic Wunderbaum Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card! 2 1
05 Täppas Strepens: Beans, Bacon ... Oooops, a red card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL! Bogus Blimp: Men-Mic It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! 2 4
06 Center of the Universe: Curious .. It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card! Ulver: Metamorphosis It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card! 2 1
07 C.O.U.: Taking a Nap With It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a red card!It's a GOAL! Ulver: Perdition City It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL! 2 4
08 Täppas Strepens: The Future ... Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL! Bogus Blimp: cords. wires Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card! 3 3
09 Magnus Moriarty™: Drive Fast ... It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card! When: WriterCakeBox It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card! 3 5
10 Various Artists: 1.0 It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a red card!It's a GOAL! Star of Ash: iter.viator. It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a red card! 3 1
11 Now We've Got Members: Le Jardin It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! Virus: Carheart It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card! 3 3
12 C.O.U.: Promotional Copy Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL! Ulver: Silences Teaches You ... It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card! 3 1
13 Magnus Moriarty™: ...And The Hippos... It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card! Origami Galaktika: Stjernevandring It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL! 3 4
14 Cyrano: You Sensualize My Soul Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card!Oooops, a red card!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! When: The Lobster Boys It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card! 3 3
15 Koppen: Truckdriving Songs Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a red card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card! Rotoscope: Great Curves Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card! 1 1
16 Täppas Strepens: Dance, Dance ... It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card! Ulver: Silencing the Singing It's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card!Oooops, a yellow card! 3 1
17 C.O.U.: Staying Up All Night ... Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card!Oooops, a red card! Kåre João: Captain Trips It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card! 1 1
18 Magnus Moriarty™: U R On A Radar It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL! Head Control System: Murder Nature It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card! 2 2
19 Now We've Got Members: Tiny ... It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! Single Unit: Family of Forces It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! 5 3
20 Various Artists: 2.0 Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card! [unreleased] 1 0
21 Koppen: My Fashion Statement ... Oooops, a red card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a red card!Oooops, a red card! Kåre João: Sideman It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card! 1 4
22 Täppas Strepens: The Great American ... It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card!It's a GOAL! Upland: Upland It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card! 4 1
23 Magnus Moriarty™: Sky-Fi Beatitude It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card! When: Sunshine Superhead It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card! 3 1
24 Cyrano: I Cannot Smell It It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a red card!Oooops, a red card! Ulver: Lyckantropen Theme It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! 3 2
25 Hanny: Moderning Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL! Ulver: 1993-2003: 1st Decade ... Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card! 1 1
26 C.O.U.: Bellydance Nation It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a red card! Ulver: A Quick Fix Of Melancholy EP Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! 2 2
27 Meta Forever: Astroid Antics It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a red card! 1349 Rykkinn: Brown Ring of Fury It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card! 4 2
28 Cyranq & Phil Emile: [sic] It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card! Kåre João: Sleepers It's a GOAL! 2 1
29 Ergo: Reclaim The Mall! It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! Ulver: Teachings In Silence It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! 2 2
30 Various Artists: 3.0 Oooops, a red card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a red card!Oooops, a yellow card! Ulver: Svidd Neger Oooops, a red card!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! 1 2
31 C.O.U./Magnus Moriarty™: Did U ... Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a red card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card!Oooops, a yellow card! Origami Galaktika: Horisont It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card! 1 1
32 Koppen: Let's Eat Crazyroom ... It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a red card! When: Pearl-Harvest It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL! 1 3
33 Now We've Got Members: Then Is ... It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! Ulver: Blood Inside It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card! 6 3
34 Truls & The Trees: AilanthusOooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card!Oooops, a red card! Kåre João: 2 It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL! 3 3
35 Lower Than Lo-Fi: No Need For Ladders Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! Bogus Blimp: RdtrIt's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! 3 4
36 C.O.U.: SimulacraIt's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card! When: WheneverOooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card! 1 1
37 Hanny: SceneityIt's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! Upland: ObliteratedOooops, a red card!It's a GOAL! 3 1
38 Magnus Moriarty™: Perhaps Interior ...It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a red card! Anthony Curtis: Book Of The KeyOooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card! 2 2
39 Ergo: MountaineeringIt's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! Espen Jørgensen: On the Great ...It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! 3 5
40 Various Artists: 4.0It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! When: Trippy HappyIt's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL! 3 3
41 Center of the Universe: ApokryfaIt's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! Ulver: Shadows Of The SunIt's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card! 4 3
42 Center of the Universe: Remixes/RemixedIt's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a red card!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL! When: You Are SilentIt's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card! 3 1
43 Koppen: Strømmen Gamelan CityIt's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! Upland: Monochrome AdventuresIt's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! 3 3
44 Pilemil: If You Make ...It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL! When: Sun RaIt's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL! 2 3
45 Now We've Got Members: Repulsive ...It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!Oooops, a yellow card! Nidingr: Wolf-FatherIt's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! 3 3
46 Truls/Trees Vs. C.O.U.: Surfing USBIt's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! Zweizz & Joey Hopkins: S/TIt's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! 3 3
47 C.O.U.: Levitating DiskIt's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! Ulver: Wars Of The RosesIt's a GOAL!Oooops, a yellow card!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!Oooops, a red card! 4 3
48 Cyrano & Armageddon: Club Soda 2012It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! When: Misshimmisshimmisshim...It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL!It's a GOAL! 5 5
Total 122 114

Next match
Next head-to-head meeting is the Koppen release Objectified from Metronomicon Audio which is up against the Ulver release Childhood's End from Jester Records.

Copyright © 2013 Knut Tore Breivik e-mail address

You may also want to check out our When articles/reviews: Homage Series Vol. 1: Sun Ra, Pearl-Harvest, Psychedelic Wunderbaum, Sunshine Superhead, The Lobster Boys, Trippy Happy, Whenever, Whensday, WriterCakeBox - The Unblessed World Of When (1983-1998), You Are Silent.
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