Shitlord Fuckerman/Test Card
Shitlord Fuckerman
MUSIC IS OVER! // Independent
Shitlord Fuckerman’s latest release is a real mood journey. (Presciently?) (Audaciously?) (Cleverly?) titled MUSIC IS OVER!, the glitchy electronic album bounces between dancey, moody, joyful, and ambient moments. The stylistic range is tied together with a consistent level of energy and intensity, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has ever seen them live, or read their name.
“Patrick Cowley (In Agony)”, musically references the Hi-NRG disco that the title suggests. The vocoded vocals are punctuated by the insistent statement that “my reputation for misogyny is legendary!” layered over and over, and shouted as an ironic boast that calls to mind an SNL cast member impersonating a particularly vile politician. Next up, “Surgicalwetdreameuphoria” builds layers on top of a bell-like melody, which is swept along to a dark churning conclusion.
“Rancho Bawang” is an ideal album centrepiece, with the kind of dynamic, bleepy composition that makes the influence of Yellow Magic Orchestra clear. The distorted vocals are distant and sparse, this one is really about the spacey journey of the melody. At a succinct three and a half minutes, it’s such a joy to listen to that I could easily zone out with the song on repeat.
The album’s “official” last track is “Vacation of the Mind (Green Blue Green)”, which brings the starkest shift in energy. It’s a more ambient soundscape that builds slowly: the sound of distant percussive footsteps forms the base for a vaguely foreboding baseline that eventually incorporates piano and faraway bird sounds. It shifts and changes subtly over seven and a half minutes, all the while maintaining an interesting and appealing three-dimensional texture.
As “Vacation of the Mind” fades out, those who purchased the digital album will be treated to three delightful covers. Notably, there’s a dreamy (and abbreviated) instrumental cover of the Yukihiro Takahashi favourite “Drip Dry Eyes,” which was exciting to me on a personal level. Beyond the covers, there’s also a final surprise mashup that I definitely will not spoil in advance. All I will say is that it’s a total joy that will be beloved by all the pre-Y2K babies out there.
If you liked this album and you’ve never seen a Shitlord live show, you should fix that as soon as possible - the mildly surreal world that’s built here is a good preview of what you’re in for.
- Natalie Corbo
Test Card
Music For The Towers // Sound In Silence
On his third release under the Test Card moniker, Lee Nicholson proves his abilities in utilizing space to its full advantage. The openness surrounding every keystroke on his new release Music For The Towers proves to be his most emotive instrument - the vastness of the atmosphere he creates with it gives poignancy to every note he plays. Expertly crafted, every phrase is meaningful with no ideas underdeveloped or overworked.
The album opens with swelling keyboards that create weightlessness as they give way to shimmering guitar notes in “Lost Field Tapestry Network”. The sensation of weightlessness in “Data Taken” grows as the keys bloom and deepen. With several of the eight tracks on the release approaching ten minutes in length, Nicholson demonstrates his strongest quality - the ability to realize a concept to its fullest potential. As if to encompass Brian Eno’s entire Ambient Series in a single record, he utilizes the length of his tracks to take us on a journey, and he leads gently. His ideas develop in a fashion that refutes any sort of frantic build to a payoff in the end.
Test Card’s power is in the ability to captivate. The layers of detail balance wholeness and authenticity – so much so that as you listen, you can picture Nicholson physically creating the music you are listening to. Tracks like “We Oscillated Like Sheep” conjure an image of the artist choosing when to introduce the delicately plucked guitar to the sprawling synthesizers. Nicholson’s 2020 release is a masterclass in subtlety, with depth that implores you to listen for the record’s complexities.
- Connor MacDonald
