Two Atlanta ex-pat’s reconvene as Celebs Without Their Makeup
Retconned and The Voice of Saturn (formerly Recompas) self-release collaborative debut
Atlanta has hosted its fair share of experimental music, including ongoing improvisational series and dedicated record labels, and more. But sometimes, the creative activity happens when Atlanta ex pat’s reconvene well outside the perimeter, even overflowing outside of state lines. Celebs Without Their Makeup is a new experimental duo featuring two former Atlantans: Retconned and the Voice of Saturn (formerly Recompas).The duo recently self-released its first cassette, The Emperor Has No Skin, via Bandcamp, featuring more than a dozen fried and frazzled bits of electronic ephemera.
Made up of incredibly brief but potent vignettes, the duo effortlessly blitzes through maligned miniatures of synthetic beauty. “Extreme Breakover” smears its bent circuit symphony through a bog of Autechre-like low ends and IDM-leaning textures, without the stuffy air of academia or encumbered concentration. Tones and rhythms bubble up organically, creating an open sense of curiosity and unbridled experimentation. “Seven Months Community Service” plays like a disoriented emergency broadcast signal, gurgling out its repetitive, dissonant loop like some dented Morse code. “Smog Alert” dives into a stuttering run of schizophrenic noise and terse edits that play out with mechanical precision. A-side closer “Afterparty” ends the first half with a relatively upbeat, quasi-techno burner that celebrates the cool monotony of a strict, 4-4 beat and throbbing bassline. The entire B-side circles back, playing the entire A-side in reverse, making for a completely sordid, mischievous play of sounds.
★★★★☆
The Emperor Has No Skin is available now on Celebs Without Their Makeup’s Bandcamp.
<a href=”http://celebswithouttheirmakeup.bandcamp.com/album/the-emperor-has-no-skin”>The Emperor Has No Skin by Celebs Without Their Makeup</a>