this land is your land spring 2002 review

Opopop "juicio final " 3inch CD Alku

It sounds like a traffic jam, a really bad, temper flaring, sun drenched bottleneck. Juicio final means something like final judgment, and I cant take the images out of my head of highways when I listen to this. The first CD player wouldn't even play it, and it scared Sandra when she came into the room and a jumpy part came out of nowhere.

Formally, Opopop has common sentiment with classical electronics such as Pauline Oliveros. It is noise, but not wide band. It is not merely static, but living audio particles. It does not sound "effected" somehow, but like a natural event from another world. Thus its horror sci-fi affinities are strong. The difference lies in its short length, something the classics rarely tried, and its snotty, almost punk attitude, minus the stinky posture. Although it never drives worn paths such as the Berlin electro punk aesthetic, there is something of the same root origin: the EU, Ikea, iMac and operation triunfo. Opopop embraces popular contemporary culture world, and then spits it back chewed and icky, and strangely without wacky samples.

The cover image is great, a florescent roadwork pink griffin, (a lion with wings and a birds' head), just above bold title credits. (I think it may be part of the Scottish flag.) It sticks out as a frightening yet comic image, further pushing an idea of some kind of trumped up war of the worlds. Oh, but we are at war, aren't we?

Iconic yet ridiculous, just like now.

 

a. bergman

This Land is Your Land

Alku
http://personal.ilimit.es/principio

aaland@luckykitchen.com

Spain 2002