NEON HUNK - SMARMYMOB (LOAD 042)

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE EVER USED THE RING MODULATION EFFECT THAT CAME ONBOARD WITH A FEW DIGITAL 8 TRACKS IN THE LATE 1990S OR INDEED THE PROPER RING MODULATION EFFECTS UNITS. I HAVE AND I FOUND IT, AS A WAY OF MODIFYING AN EXISTING SOUND, A NET NEGATIVE. LIKE BENEATH FLANGER AND WHACK 90S CHORUS PEDALS. IT SEEMED TO STRIP A SOUND OF RESONANT FREQUENCIES AND LEAVE YOU WITH A THIN WISP OF CRAP THAT AT BEST IS "SPOOKY".

THAT IS BASICALLY NEON HUNK'S SOUND. RING MODULATED SYNTH AND DRUMS. IT IS NOT PLEASANT. ADD TO THAT AN ABSOLUTE LACK OF INTERESTING MATERIAL BEING PLAYED BY THE SYNTH PLAYER AND YOU HAVE SOMETHING CONFOUNDING. IN THE SENSE OF "WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO RELEASE THIS"?

THERE ARE OCCASIONAL DISTANT AND RING MODULATED FEMALE VOCALS BUT THEY ADD NOTHING TO THE MIX OTHER THAN THE SENSE THAT HUMANS DID THIS DELIBERATELY RATHER THAN IT BEING A FAILED ALGORITHM ATTEMPTING TO PUT TOGETHER MUSIC AWAY FROM ITS MASTER.

NEON HUNK WERE A HUSBAND/WIFE BAND AND I GUESS THAT IS COOL. AND I GUESS THEY WERE A LOT OF FUN LIVE BACK IN THE PERMISSIVE 00S. BUT BY GUM THIS IS HORRIBLE. EVEN THOUGH IT IS MERCIFULLY BRIEF IT IS FAR TOO LONG TO BE ENDURED IN ONE GO.

RATED: RANCID