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CD REVIEW: Blip Fool - ep
By Alex Jasperse - 07/10/2007 - 09:06 PM EDT
Artist: Band: Blip Fool
Album: ep [2007]
Label: Earsmack Music
Website: http://www.blipfool.com
Genre: Electronic, Jazz-Funk and Post-Bop
Production/Musicianship Grade: 9.5/10
Songwriting Skills: 9.5/10
Performance Skill: 9.5/10
CD Review:
It’s no doubt that the era of musical recreation has come. Music from the past has become new again. For the first time, musicians have the unrestricted power to introduce new ideas into works from the past in ways that the original artist could never have conceived.
Reinvigorating the jazz-meets-synthesizer experimentation of the 80s, Blip Fool glowingly stands alone from the recent influx of listless wannabes and copycats by reworking original formulas and injecting them with the fluid and textural power of lush instrumental grooves. Contenting themselves with many of the same tools as their influences, the colour that flows from their works, infused with a modern day musical perspective, combines to form four very melodic and catchy works that achieve a balance of mellow and uplifting tunes that manage to never sound dull, let alone dated.
Ranging from soft and sincere to pulsating and driving, the opening track, “Neptune,” unfolds with powerful shifts of rhythmic patterns and infectious hooks that gradually ascend to a mighty roar of electric guitar and keyboard themes. While the internal energy of the guitar, bass and drums is reserved for the most part, Blip Fool beautifully crafts each part together to form a trembling and intense textural storm of electronic and organic dialogues.
The opening track gradually settles down to what seems like a calm after the storm, but then the sequenced patterns of “Rough” enter and change everything. Spinning like rotor blades, it slices through the approaching drums with an earth-shattering riff that is drenched in synthesized swirls. Frenetic and intense, quiet and reserved, colossal and inspirational, the keys reinforce the message several times over, reshaping each repetition to sound new and fresh. The mechanized deep and throbbing bass and synth rhythms alternate with scattered guitar forays that ascend and gracefully descend, creating a collage of atmospheres and textures that come together to form a powerfully hypnotic and cohesive soundscape. Almost ten seconds shy of the six-minute mark, however, it all comes to an end… and the listener is left wondering: where else could they go after reaching this pinnacle?
Downwards.
Enter their self-titled track, “Blip Fool,” which slows the pace down considerably. Rarely are repetitive rhythms as captivating as this, but the musical energy flows so freely from the minds of Blip Fool that the dimensions of the sonic canvas they create seems boundless. Then, as “Blip Fool” slowly fades out, a Booker T. & MG’s-meets-Medeski, Martin & Wood sound fast-forwards the album’s pace upwards once again, as “Latitude’s” playful groove gets everything going with catchy organ lines that improvise sly and well thought out changes on both rhythm and melody.
The beauty of Blip Fool’s debut is that nothing is understated, and nothing is overstated. Because they don’t deny or challenge any of their influences, their musical voice remains consistently strong despite the fact they’ve traveled through well-chartered waters. ep may have a limited appeal for those who refuse to let a ‘tried and tested’ sound be modified, but for those who are curious as to what the 80s jazz synth sound would be like with a 21st century perspective, then Blip Fool’s debut is an excellent addition to a well-rounded collection.
The Verdict: 9.5/10
For more information, please contact Blip Fool at blipfool@gmail.com
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