Maniac Meat
Anticon
www.myspace.com/tobacco
While Tom Fec might be better known for making blissed out psychedelia with band Black Moth Super Rainbow, this solo project presents a different approach. Although Tobacco’s music is certainly still psychedelic, his muddy, beat-heavy approach to the genre will delight hip hop heads and noise rockers alike.
With Maniac Meat, his second full length album, Fec has heaped more dirt on an already grimy sound. Tobacco, indeed, is an appropriate moniker, as each synth melody sounds clogged with tar like images from an anti smoking campaign. While this might sound like a difficult listen, however, its strong drum beats keep the songs focussed and completely engaging.
Two guest spots from Beck provide album highlights, in particular Fresh Hex (below) which features a rare clarity of vocal and comprehensible lyrics. Elsewhere, though, it’s business as usual, as Fec utilises the muffled vocoder effects that he has become synonymous with throughout his career. While Maniac Meat is 16 tracks long, few of these break the three minute mark, setting a great pace to the record. After a furious start, there is some variation offered later on, with the floating arpeggios of Six Royal Vipers bringing a brighter feel to the mix; although admittedly, this soon becomes caked in thick layers of glorious fuzz.
Existing fans of Tobacco, or indeed Black Moth Super Rainbow, are unlikely to be disappointed by this, an album I would rank amongst Fec’s best material to date. For the unfamiliar, though, be sure to check out this intriguing blend of hip hop beats and grubby electronics.
Sleekly Lion.