- It's usually best to leave one-sheets out of record reviews, but something caught my eye in the one accompanying the promo for Langesthal, Meakusma's new compilation released in conjunction with a label night at Katakomben, in the imprint's hometown of Eupen, Belgium. Glancing at it after spending some time getting my brain turned to goo inside the entirely twisted soundworlds found therein, I was a bit surprised to see the words "pop" and "club" thrown around nonchalantly throughout the promotional text.
Did they send me the wrong files? Had someone slipped something in my sandwich at lunch? Even by Meakusma's standards—it's fair to say any label with a discography this heavy on Madteo EPs is likely to veer toward the weird—the eight tracks (two per artist) found on Langesthal are pretty far out. But the more you listen, the more you start to see what their press people are talking about: these are pop sounds put through the ringer of some appealingly warped musical minds.
Tase, a mysterious but likely DJ Sotofett-related project, moves from warmly unhinged ("Reflection") to coolly stoned ("Come Back") on his/her/whoever's kickoff tracks. Acido Records' Dresvn, who also contributed artwork to the compilation, crafts a damaged interlude ("Creation") before settling into "Flurry of Dust," a vaguely rhythmic and cheekily psychedelic impression of a spaceship stalling out. Ssaliva, who recently released his second Cupp Cave album on Ramp Recordings, turns in a heavy dirge that sounds like a Shackleton 45 played at 33 ("Trap Night") and an afterhours drum circle in Tesla's lab ("Ivory Tower"). Occasional flashes of sunshine abate the overwhelming seasickness of Belgian band Bepotel's "Tower Times Island"; "Nulldip," previously self-released, is only the catchiest, most coherent thing on here if you discount all the drum-machine non-sequitors and nonsense melodies.
Tracklist A1 Tase - Reflection
A2 Tase - Comeback
A3 Dreesvn - Creation
A4 Dreesvn - Flurry Of Dust
B1 Ssaliva - Trapnite
B2 Ssaliva - Ivory Tower
B3 Bepotel - Tower Times Island
B4 Bepotel - Nulldup