Paranoid London - The Boombox Affair feat. Bubbles Bubblesynski

  • A posthumous collaboration with a larger-than-life character.
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  • Bubbles, a transgender DJ and activist who was shot and killed in San Francisco last September, was a larger-than-life character whose presence, according to one acquaintance, was like "walking through a rainbow." Bubbles, AKA Anthony Torres, was also, in the words of Paranoid London, the "exact kind of lunatic" producers love to work with, which is why they made plans to collaborate with Torres after meeting at California's Sunset Campout festival. Torres was asked to provide vocals for some Paranoid London tunes, but the murder—for which the suspect is still at large—happened the week the backing track was due to be sent. The Boombox Affair is the next best thing to a full collaboration, an EP that pulls audio from a Facebook video that captures Torres breaking into a construction yard and narrating a DJ set. There are three tracks to choose from. The title tune is the most full-bodied, a nocturnal acid tune that weaves a cosmic 303 between a thumping four-on-the-floor rhythm. There's less clear melody than Paranoid London's best-known tunes, which drag hooks from growling synths and basslines. But keeping the melody abstract puts all the attention on Torres's distinctive voice, adding character to what's otherwise a low-key acid groover. There's also "Beats And Bubbles," a dub version that strips away the 303, and a beatless version, which could work nicely for DJs wanting a tougher beat than the original provides. Torres still looms large over the San Francisco club scene, and this 12-inch helps show why.
  • Tracklist
      A1 The Boombox Affair B1 Beats & Bubbles B1 The Boombox Acidapella
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