Sissy Spacek "SISSISSPSSKSSISSRS" 2xLP
[Misanthropic Agenda]
Here's the vinyl edition of Sissy Spacek's "Scissors" CD on a slick looking opaque hot pink 12" EP. You know the drill here, tons of crazy cutups and spliced together samples of drumbeats with varying degrees of distortion present, some maniacal vocal screams, some calmer moments of quiet ambient textures that just leave you waiting for your speakers to explode in another burst of chaotic madness, etc. I was sort of surprised at how many quiet areas there are on side A, at one point you can hear feedback and drums, but the volume level is less than half of what the material offers at its most extreme moments. Side B's sole track, "Hair Control b/w Incredible Fluorescent Ghost Hulk", is a bit more exciting all around, keeping the energy and volume levels high with significantly more movement and frenzied energy. It's in the same general style as side A's "Cobra Heart and Rainbow Pic b/w Please Don't Sleep While We Explain", and the same general style for which Sissy Spacek is known, it's just more interesting and fun to listen to, especially when a few samples of metal guitar riffs start popping up for minimal snippets of time. It's more dynamic and diverse than the first track, I would say. The recording seems fine to me. It's crisp and bright, with enough density to pull its weight. Nothing seems thin or overly irritating on the high-end of things, nor is it muddy. The LP comes in a thick gatefold sleeve that's mostly blank white, except for the cover, which shows the same unusual black line drawings as the CD's cover, and the back, which has a tiny, tiny amount of very small text in the bottom left corner. Now, here's where it gets interesting... the sleeve feels heavy as fuck, and that's because there's a bonus one-sided 12" EP hidden in the front panel of the gatefold. I say "hidden" because only the back half of the gatefold has an opening, and I damn near tore the sleeve trying to reach my arm all the way down through to the front panel to slide the other record out. Awesome. The bonus record is called "Psychic Facts" and contains four songs that were recorded live on KXLU radio in Los Angeles on August 28, 2001. The titles aren't listen on the LP's label, just the EP title and the playing speed, but the titles are listed on the web as "Hair Control pt.0", "Psychic Facts", "Hair Control pt.1", and "Hair Control pt.2". These pieces aren't quite as chaotic, relying more on eerie distorted textures and glitchy tones than drum samples or heavily distorted screams (though some of the latter elements do show their faces). The arrangements are still relatively chaotic and pieced together in a cutup style, but the overall effect is something curious and perhaps more laidback, if that's possible. The "SISSISSPSSKSSISSRS" LP is limited to 1000 copies, and only 100 come with the "Psychic Facts" 12", so I'm guessing your chances of getting the bonus version are slim to none at this point. But Misanthropic Agenda never seems to suffer from a shortage of creative ideas, and this release is no exception. (8/10)
Running time - 36:00 (approximately), Tracks: 6
[Notable tracks: Hair Control b/w Incredible Fluorescent Ghost Hulk, Psychic Facts]
Misanthropic Agenda - http://www.misanthropicagenda.com

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