Review Summary: Quirky post-punk that mixes angular synths, hip-hop and a few other things to boot.
Ok, so the music soundtracks for computer, console or mobile device games are all the rage these days. Almost all of these are done as some form of electronic music by solo computer wizards in their bedrooms. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. Most of the time, speed is the name of the game, and those soundtracks are no exception.
Whether it was their original intention or not, the Arizona duo Snailmate have their music featured in a mobile game “Pogo Gun Pogo”, and on the evidence of their latest EP Existential Anxiety they throw in a few twists, both into the music and probably the game itself too. “4 songs that are as exhilarating and they are depressing; brief and hilarious, like a malfunctioning roller coaster,” so say Kalen Lander and Ariel Monet about their newest release that includes an album a few other EPs and singles.
Their description is actually quite fitting - the speed is certainly there, but instead of just sticking to electronic buzz and tweets, these two guys throw in a lot of other madness - from hip-hop to angular guitars and twists and turns, sounding like an electronic/hip-hop version of Residents or Mr Bungle. And like a fast-paced game, by the time you get accustomed to what is going on, without really picking up the clues, the thing is over. Time to start over, I guess.
No easy listening here. Game or no game, this fast-paced mishmash actually makes sense, particularly if you can catch up with the vocals, since each track gets shorter and shorter, from the opening “Night Life” to the closing “3D Glasses”. But the electronics and drums hip-hop duo somehow manage to make their “malfunctioning roller coaster” function and come up with a musical concoction that is not your run of the mill game music, or music in general for that matter. Time to try and figure out this one more time…
