VIKI / HAIR POLICE - SPLIT (LOAD 047)

THE SPLIT SERIES CONTINUES WITH TWO NEWCOMERS TO THE VISTAS OF LOAD. IN THEORY I LIKE THE SPLIT SERIES. IT REPRESENTS DECENT VALUE FOR MONEY AND IN THEORY I LIKE BAND X SO MAYBE I WILL LIKE BAND Y (OR AT LEAST UNDERSTAND THE DIALECTIC OF THE TWO SIDES)

SIDE A BELONGS TO VIKI, THE NOM DE GUERRE OF ONE LINDSAY KARTY OF THE GREAT STATE OF MICHIGAN. I GUESS THE GENERAL AESTHETIC IS IN THE NOISE/ELECTRONICS REALM. THERE'S SINGING AND SHOUTING. THE TRACKS ARE PRETTY STRIPPED DOWN AND MOST OF THE TECHNOLOGY SOUNDS RUDIMENTARY AND PUSHED TO ITS LIMITS.

THE FIRST TIME I LISTENED THROUGH I FELT COLD AND UNMOVED BUT THE SECOND TIME FELT MORE PLAYFUL. A FAR REACH PERHAPS BUT IT FELT NOT A MILLION MILES FROM SOMETHING LIKE BROADCAST ALTHOUGH WITH A LESS MELODIC APPROACH. COLD WAR TECH. COLDNESS. A GREY WALL. SPIES ON ADJACENT ROOFS. MERICAN METAL IS A GOOD TUNE. THE REST IS UP AND DOWN.

HAILING FROM LEXINGTON KENTUCKY HAIR POLICE (FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF 2020) ARE VENERABLE FIGURES IN THE NOISE/NOISE ROCK/YELLCORE (I MADE THAT UP) WORLD. INTERRELATED WITH WOLF EYES AND VARIOUS SONIC TITANS LIKE C SPENCER YEH AND ALL THAT STUFF IN A WORLD OF CD-RS BURNED OFF BEFORE THE GIG STARTED.

THEIR SIDE IS A MIX OF HALF-HEARTED ELECTRONIC NOISE AND SOME RUDIMENTARY TRIBAL MEANDERINGS. IT ISN'T VERY GOOD IF I AM GOING TO BE BRUTAL. THERE WAS A TOTAL DIVORCE BETWEEN THE LIVE EXCELLENCE OF A LOT OF THESE BANDS AND HOW GREATLY THEY OVERESTIMATED THEIR TALENT ON RECORD. LIKE NIGHT VISITORS HAS A FLEETINGLY COOL ATMOSPHERE BUT CHRIST WHO WANTS TO HEAR MORE THAN 5 MINUTES OF STUFF LIKE THIS? I LIKE SOME ODD STUFF BUT THIS TESTS MY PATIENCE.