Skulltaste (LP) & Viking Funeral (EP) by Mux Mool
LABEL: Ghostly International  •  LP RELEASE: March 23, 2010

This is the lost soundtrack to Tron...if it had been an adventure movie starring Fred Savage and then targeted to the teen/cult market of the late eighties, co-produced by Ralph Bakshi and possibly backed by Sega. As esoteric as that undoubtedly appears, this music is instantly listenable and electronic tinkerer Mux Mool has crafted a lo-if instrumental narrative that's as visual as its maker. The creature's name is Skulltaste.

Cinematic may truly be the only accurate genre comparison with Mux Mool's 2010 work. Too melodic, structured and electronic to properly fit into the hip-hop or dub camps, while also heavy enough on thick beats to avoid alienating either camps and containing enough hooks and attractive phrases to lure the open-minded pop listener. It's off-beat, quirky, drenched in lo-fi rasp and plenty of 8-bit Space Invader appeal. This approach, added with its strong independence and charming youthfulness, provide a moderate resemblance to Ernest Gonzalez's work, but denser and utilizing an electronic palette only.

“Mux Mool's artistry lies in his placement of tracks and the breadth of themes. There is a definite story-line throughout Skulltaste...”

What's at first daunting about this record is also what, as the album draws to a close, makes it so striking: the number of tracks. At first glance, fifteen tracks of such instrumental electronic deviation may seem like too much of too little. Mux Mool's artistry lies in his placement of tracks and the breadth of themes. There is a definite story-line throughout Skulltaste, complete with chase-scenes, captured princesses, and coming of age moments (well, maybe if you're one of those people that stares at a constellation and says "yeah, it totally looks like a horse"). All digression aside, the album has a flow and continuity that not only keep it from dragging on uselessly, but actively engages your interest and curiosity without straying too much from a central catalog of timbres.

Courting this full length, Mux Mool has offered us Viking Funeral, a free EP that is worth noting on its own. Although the continuity of Skulltaste is all-but absent on the EP, Viking Funeral provides some strikingly different material than what is heard on the full length. A remix of "Death 9000" offers rap vocals and "Goblin Town" could be the opening song of a new Adult Swim fantasy short. While offering these oddities, the stunningly beautiful opening track of Viking Funeral holds its own against any song from the full length companion. The EP does its job fantastically well by demonstrating the wide ranging abilities of its author. And for free, it would be a ridiculous sample to pass up if you're curious about Mux Mool's impressive LP, Skulltaste.


REVIEWED BY NEIL LEVENS
NEIL'S FAVORITE TRACKS: "Enceladus" • "Dandelion" • "1st and 4th"