I've been looking forward to reviewing this album for some time (even though you wouldn't think it with the amount of time it has taken).
'Christmas 1995' serves as another chapter in the Sleeperhead history, a place that has come from the imagination of one man and is made up of a deep collection of recordings.
Matthew O'Toole is a chap who mesmerised me once I finally found my way behind the scenes of the fictional town Sleeperhead and discovered the man responsible for this vast body of work (all of which was available for free download via Bandcamp). If you start at Eugene The Oceanographer and begin to work your way around each tangent you will find yourself deep in a forest of audio documentation pretty damned fast. I did and my iTunes was inundated with new tracks for me to spin, all based around the same idea, Sleeperhead.
Eugene The Oceanographer is another of Matthew O'Tooles alias' and purveys a very adventurous and innovative music maker. A mix of Pop, Hip Hop, Trip Hop, Electro with theatrical and oriental influences sounds pretty eclectic but Eugene actually manages to turn this concoction into a smartly cohesive body of work with 'Christmas 1995'.
'Christmas 1995' delights me from the very beginning as I find out it has an Introduction and End, I'd say that was pretty ballsy for an independently released album but a move that says to me that the maker has put a lot of care and attention into the flow and formation of is album. I'm about to hear a thoughtful piece of work not just a loose collection of songs.
'Introduction (Claes Oldenburg)' is, as it should be, a short and sweet intro that not so subtly offers suggestions of the blend of influences that are to follow. It's like we have found ourselves on the set of a 1930's movie, as violins usher us into a tale of Eugene passing the sculptor Claus Oldenburg. With stunted beats ambling through the background it is no secret that this is going to be a well varied experience...
'Bad Man (Christmas in Japan)' is a jangly strutter that sets the tone to cocksure and confident. I pomped around my room like Ric Flair after a title victory to this one.
'Mungo Park' makes me feel like I'm in an Jungle themed stage of a Mega Drive game, Eugene really nails his themes. We are also introduced to the chalky tones of Sarah Reid on this track, she has quite a lovely voice, I must say.
'Jungle King' offers yet another wealth of experiences as African inspired drums lay the foundations for the sharp strain of strings and echoed howls that glide along for the minute that this track lasts. As a listener I am kept well on my toes.
'Hating on Girls' is my personal favourite from the album. It is simply a fantastic pop song, the vocal hook "I'm hating on girls cause they're hating on me" is as catchy as yawning in an old folks home, it had me reeled in from the first listen. Straight from the eery build of violins into a delicate drum beat right to Rachel Hillary's silken vocals, it is wonderfully alluring. If you don't find yourself repeating this track then you're listening to music wrong.
'Moon Bear/ The Saddest Day In The World' is another infectious number and is harmonised brilliantly by the biggest collection of guest appearances the album has to offer, it is at this point when you actually realise the sheer amount of care and attention that has gone into making this album. As a person who has a fairly gung-ho approach to making music, this is an absolute breath of fresh air for me. The songs part 2 'The Saddest Day...' switches the mood in preparation for the next track.
'Grizzly Bear (Canada)' is a low key affair and again changes the dynamic of the album expertly as if these switches are tailored for the attention span. As far as percussion goes this tune is a testament to just how experimental you can be, with clicking, flicking and tapping making it fairly hard to define just what it is that is being hit.
'Are You As Good As I Remember' is the point of the album where there oriental influences really begin to rear their pretty head. I'm not really in the know about Asian music so I would ask this question; Is Oriental Electro a genre? If not, O'Toole could be somewhat of a pioneer in this respect. My fascination with this man grows as the album goes on.
'House Party (The Death of Caesar)' is another ethereal march through the vibrant forest of O'Toole's imagination, and for one reason or other, is one of the tracks that stands out to me the most. Maybe as it makes me think that if I wanted to drop somebody in the deep end of the Sleeperhead saga this is where I would put them, leaving them with no doubt that there are no conventions followed here.
'Hanger/ An Abattoir' is another fluent two parter, starting off with J.F Hancell's glorious vocals, reminiscent of Dirty Projectors' David Longstreth, a band famed for their wonderfully golden oddness. I'd definitely push Eugene and co toward a similar definition if they made it at all possible to define. I say this as we are tossed and turned so many times in this album with all of its craft and curiosities. 'An Abattoir' demonstrates this perfectly, changing the game again, with the most wonderful part of it all being that it all works like a charm.
And to the penultimate number and another stone cold, genre-blurring banger. The Hip-Hop is injected into the proceedings as a final treat provided by Eugene and his seemingly endless entourage. This time 3 MC's each offer their own verse to the magnificently named 'Steel Dragon 2000'. Gulf Whitman, Forest Deity and Awesome Welles, combine to bring the album toward its end in perhaps the most fitting way, with a plethora of influences and inspiration.
We are guided home by the albums closing track, with its soothing chime making me feel like I've ended up in Kawachi Fuji Garden, a glorious destination and 'Christmas 1995' has taken me to a few in this almost surreal journey.
I could say so many things about this album and I can honestly state that it has been one of the most astonishing and intriguing listens I have ever had.
Major kudos to Eugene the Oceanographer and to everyone involved in this album. With the array of talent on show, from the delicate tones of Rachel Hillary to the grizzled flow of Gulf Whitman and of course to the man behind it all, it could well be a landmark creation for all those involved to springboard from. Yeah Buddy! will be keeping a very close eye on the future developments of all of these talents.
Discoveries like this are the reason we started Yeah Buddy! and the kind of gem that makes it such a pleasure.
'Christmas 1995' serves as another chapter in the Sleeperhead history, a place that has come from the imagination of one man and is made up of a deep collection of recordings.
Matthew O'Toole is a chap who mesmerised me once I finally found my way behind the scenes of the fictional town Sleeperhead and discovered the man responsible for this vast body of work (all of which was available for free download via Bandcamp). If you start at Eugene The Oceanographer and begin to work your way around each tangent you will find yourself deep in a forest of audio documentation pretty damned fast. I did and my iTunes was inundated with new tracks for me to spin, all based around the same idea, Sleeperhead.
Eugene The Oceanographer is another of Matthew O'Tooles alias' and purveys a very adventurous and innovative music maker. A mix of Pop, Hip Hop, Trip Hop, Electro with theatrical and oriental influences sounds pretty eclectic but Eugene actually manages to turn this concoction into a smartly cohesive body of work with 'Christmas 1995'.
'Christmas 1995' delights me from the very beginning as I find out it has an Introduction and End, I'd say that was pretty ballsy for an independently released album but a move that says to me that the maker has put a lot of care and attention into the flow and formation of is album. I'm about to hear a thoughtful piece of work not just a loose collection of songs.
'Introduction (Claes Oldenburg)' is, as it should be, a short and sweet intro that not so subtly offers suggestions of the blend of influences that are to follow. It's like we have found ourselves on the set of a 1930's movie, as violins usher us into a tale of Eugene passing the sculptor Claus Oldenburg. With stunted beats ambling through the background it is no secret that this is going to be a well varied experience...
'Bad Man (Christmas in Japan)' is a jangly strutter that sets the tone to cocksure and confident. I pomped around my room like Ric Flair after a title victory to this one.
'Mungo Park' makes me feel like I'm in an Jungle themed stage of a Mega Drive game, Eugene really nails his themes. We are also introduced to the chalky tones of Sarah Reid on this track, she has quite a lovely voice, I must say.
'Jungle King' offers yet another wealth of experiences as African inspired drums lay the foundations for the sharp strain of strings and echoed howls that glide along for the minute that this track lasts. As a listener I am kept well on my toes.
'Hating on Girls' is my personal favourite from the album. It is simply a fantastic pop song, the vocal hook "I'm hating on girls cause they're hating on me" is as catchy as yawning in an old folks home, it had me reeled in from the first listen. Straight from the eery build of violins into a delicate drum beat right to Rachel Hillary's silken vocals, it is wonderfully alluring. If you don't find yourself repeating this track then you're listening to music wrong.
'Moon Bear/ The Saddest Day In The World' is another infectious number and is harmonised brilliantly by the biggest collection of guest appearances the album has to offer, it is at this point when you actually realise the sheer amount of care and attention that has gone into making this album. As a person who has a fairly gung-ho approach to making music, this is an absolute breath of fresh air for me. The songs part 2 'The Saddest Day...' switches the mood in preparation for the next track.
'Grizzly Bear (Canada)' is a low key affair and again changes the dynamic of the album expertly as if these switches are tailored for the attention span. As far as percussion goes this tune is a testament to just how experimental you can be, with clicking, flicking and tapping making it fairly hard to define just what it is that is being hit.
'Are You As Good As I Remember' is the point of the album where there oriental influences really begin to rear their pretty head. I'm not really in the know about Asian music so I would ask this question; Is Oriental Electro a genre? If not, O'Toole could be somewhat of a pioneer in this respect. My fascination with this man grows as the album goes on.
'House Party (The Death of Caesar)' is another ethereal march through the vibrant forest of O'Toole's imagination, and for one reason or other, is one of the tracks that stands out to me the most. Maybe as it makes me think that if I wanted to drop somebody in the deep end of the Sleeperhead saga this is where I would put them, leaving them with no doubt that there are no conventions followed here.
'Hanger/ An Abattoir' is another fluent two parter, starting off with J.F Hancell's glorious vocals, reminiscent of Dirty Projectors' David Longstreth, a band famed for their wonderfully golden oddness. I'd definitely push Eugene and co toward a similar definition if they made it at all possible to define. I say this as we are tossed and turned so many times in this album with all of its craft and curiosities. 'An Abattoir' demonstrates this perfectly, changing the game again, with the most wonderful part of it all being that it all works like a charm.
And to the penultimate number and another stone cold, genre-blurring banger. The Hip-Hop is injected into the proceedings as a final treat provided by Eugene and his seemingly endless entourage. This time 3 MC's each offer their own verse to the magnificently named 'Steel Dragon 2000'. Gulf Whitman, Forest Deity and Awesome Welles, combine to bring the album toward its end in perhaps the most fitting way, with a plethora of influences and inspiration.
We are guided home by the albums closing track, with its soothing chime making me feel like I've ended up in Kawachi Fuji Garden, a glorious destination and 'Christmas 1995' has taken me to a few in this almost surreal journey.
I could say so many things about this album and I can honestly state that it has been one of the most astonishing and intriguing listens I have ever had.
Major kudos to Eugene the Oceanographer and to everyone involved in this album. With the array of talent on show, from the delicate tones of Rachel Hillary to the grizzled flow of Gulf Whitman and of course to the man behind it all, it could well be a landmark creation for all those involved to springboard from. Yeah Buddy! will be keeping a very close eye on the future developments of all of these talents.
Discoveries like this are the reason we started Yeah Buddy! and the kind of gem that makes it such a pleasure.
Krystian Hudson