Album, Single and EP Reviews


 

 

  Themes by A La Fu


Themes cover art

Artist: A La Fu
Title: Themes
Catalogue Number: VaVa Records
Review Format: EP
Release Year: 2009



It's a terrible thing being a record collector. For one thing it's an expensive affliction. For another, you end up taking home vinyl from artists you have never heard of just because you liked the packaging. The record shop was Mono in Glasgow and this little box set of 3 vinyl singles and a CD just stuck to my hand.

I can't say that I can tell you much about A La Fu. His record company describes him as a noise merchant and this release as pretty much a compilation without a theme. It's an odd thing to listen to especially on vinyl. "Bazouki Joe" is certainly an accessible song mixing, as it does, the Mediterranean beat sensibilities suggested by its title with classic New York rap/hip hop. Overall it's an oddball bit of old style ambient electronica i.e. chopped up and glued together with some actually quite decent songs. I think what I'm trying to say is that the end result is deliberately obtuse.

I did enjoy this release. It's certainly not something that I would normally have bought but I'm glad I did. Incidentally, I discovered almost by chance - and this comment has absolutely no scientific validity - that you appreciate A La Fu's music best when you are lying down in the dark in front of and equidistant from the speakers. So now you know.

 


www.chezvava.com
Reviewer:
Review Date: September 6 2009