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An open letter to Mochipet:
Oh, Mochipet... when we last talked, during those
wild and youthful days of Spring 2002, you -- blinded by
illusions of grandeur -- were giving away your albums to
anyone who asked for them via your nifty website.
Unfortunately, I
didn't have anything too positive to say about your work
back then, but you seemed to take it on your chin
like a gentleman. While still mighty derivative,
Randbient Works 2002 gives me a clearer idea of
who Mochipet is, and not just an illustration of the
records you listen to.
At times you create these dense drill 'n' bass
tracks, pounding us lucky listeners with a pomo pastiche
of samples, programmed sequences and quirky sound
effects. At others, you focus upon a single voice --
cleverly sampled from any number of kitsch sources like
monologues, advertisements and films (I love the Full
Metal Jacket lift). It's this sort of self-reflexive
stuff that I get the biggest kick out of: "The
Adventures of Flamenco Boy" and its deconstructed
Spanish guitar line in a battle it can't win with an
army of IDM glitch-trickery. Nice skittering break beat
on this track, by the way, and the use of a shimmering
ride cymbal to carry us through the bridge really opens
up the sonic space you've engineered. Same goes for the
aggressive "Backyardwrestling" and the house vibe on
"Fix It with Autotune" -- you're experimenting with
dynamics in a way that is beginning to demonstrate your
strengths as a composer and not just a patchwork artist.
Really, though, as nice-sounding as they are, tracks
like "Dorboro" are just a stiff rip-off of Aphex Twin.
(Is it "Girl/Boy" this time? I don't have my copy
handy.) Granted, you're still stealing from the best,
but how much longer can this go on? Just imagine the
accolades and the critical attention if you actually
did produce something that rivalled Mr. James! In
fact, this time around the quotation seems so direct
that I assume you're really "covering" these other
tracks. But if that's the case, why not let us know that
is your intent? We may even love you more, Mochipet!
In any case, I'm with you now, and I can unreservedly
recommend Randbient Works 2002 to any Splendid
reader with an interest in cliq-hop, IDM, hard techno
and the like. But my request for your next release -- if
I may make one, Mochipet -- is that you put those Aphex
and Squarepusher records away for a month or so before
you begin to work. The result will certainly be akin to
the cluttered brilliance of "Dessert Search for Techno
Baklava", which is easily the best composition you've
released thus far. More of the same! More of the same!
Best regards,
-- Mike
Baker
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