Xploding Plastix
Amateur Girlfriends Go Proskirt Agents
Beatservice/Voies of Wonder

Wow! This album is really a bomb blast. And a most pleasant one for sure. Xploding Plastix released their debut 7", Treat Me Mean, I Need The Reputation, last year. Then came a 4 song 12", Doubletalk EP, last February. Now the album's out (with all the songs from the mentioned singles on it, well, on the CD that is), and it's a real treat.

Xploding Plastix is a duo: Hallvard Wennersberg Hagen and Jens Petter Nilsen creates jazzy grooves with cool (well, warm, actually) beats. They sample, cut and paste, and the result is brilliantly organic sounding. To fulfill the dynamic sound they've also brought along the sounds of Fender Rhodes and Hammond organ (played by Espen Blystad, a member of Seven) and double bass guitar (by Erik Velldal). It's like the music's been taken from the cinematic world. Yes, this could've been the soundtrack of a movie, or maybe for several films at the same time. Sampled pictures as well as sounds. The list of great tunes are long, but among the highlights are: Sports, not heavy crime and Funnybones & lazylegs (both are taken from the EP), the latter with fabulous drum-rolls. The highly energetic Treat me mean, I need the reputation is awesome, while the moody Tintinnamputation and the bass-driven Doubletalk gets through to you (also from the EP) is delightful. Anyway, my definite fave is called More powah to ya (the 4th track from the EP). It gives me the feeling of being on a train running on through the night, at an increasing, but somehow slow-motion speed. All in all Amateur Girlfriends Go Proskirt Agents is an extremely exciting album.

Xploding Plastix appeared on Cloroform's remix album Scrawl. I'll go see X.P. live as soon I'll get the chance. If they're able to recreate what they do on record it must be something.

PS! The LP version has got one song, Shakedown shutoff, not included on the CD. But then again the CD holds, as mentioned, all the tracks from the singles.

Copyright © 2001 Håvard Oppøyen