Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
The days of the old C-90 cassette, a period when young music listeners might find the joy of listening to a couple of albums recorded in the depths of an evening when homework was arguably more pressing, however for the personal stereo generation, the care and attention that went into making these pieces of social history stand out were beyond the realms of anything that had happened before or in which has taken place since. The I-pod, beautiful and full though it is, is a reflection of the click and buy culture that has taken place, it has no romance when compared to the art that went into recording a double cassette with precision.
The art of placing two distinctive bands on two sides of tape may be forgotten but not in the minds of The Bordellos and Schizo Fun Addict in their children’s charity issue joint release of Kassette via Small Bear Records. Even when placed against a very deserving charity, the effort is worthwhile, the 22 songs play with the emotions that both The Bordellos and Schizo Fun Addict can achieve and the music is both enjoyable and full of grounding.
There is no pretence at all to be found in the entire venture, just a purity of spirit which comes along when knowing that the music is secondary to the point it is trying to deliver; a time when ethos stands head and shoulders above anything else and carries perfectly the artist intent with it. For The Bordellos and New Jersey’s Schizo Fun Addict it makes it even more enticing to listen to Kassette, a joint venture of wonderful experiment and drama filled tracks.
From The Bordellos, the exotic Chocolate My New Rock And Roll, the excellent King of the Bedroom and the despair that hides in plain sight in the Girl Belongs to Yesterday mix superbly with the rougher but nevertheless intriguing lyrics supplied by Schizo Fun Addict in their contribution to the album in the songs Lake of Fire, Dream of the Portugal Keeper Part 2 and Photon Overdrive.
The hard work and energy that went into recording on a C-90, the constant mistiming that was a peril of the time has been replaced by Kassette, a union of two great acts offering an outpouring of galvanised steel.
Kassette is available to purchase as a download.
Ian D. Hall