$4.20 - I love CGIFriday!!!
Tracey Trance and Run DMT emitting blue, crystal-covered dreams. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)
The artwork and sticker price - $4.20 - proved to be a harbinger of sorts for this split release from CGIFriday. Tracey Trance and Run DMT, respectively, created side-long tracks for this c30 tape. And, what a split! Tracy Trance/Run DMT is the soundtrack for your herb-encrusted dreams.
Tracey Trance rules over side A with, "Little Retreats". The title is informative as the track feels anything but monolithic. Instead, Tracey Trance presents lo-fi vignettes run through the green machine and then transmitted over mutant frequencies. Tracey Trance gets down with it from start, playing woozy, uplifting melodies. A nice "little retreat", prior to exploring other terrain. The other parts of this side are great: submerged synth; aquatic tones; jams for the beach-head. Near the middle, strands of aquatic synth become increasingly cohesive, then fracture before reemerging from the ubiquitous hiss. It's one of the things I love about Tracey Trance: one is unsure about that which will occur next - the sounds morph, reemerge, dissipate and are then reborn. The side ends with a succession of pleasing sounds - punctuated by an interesting sample of a conversation about death (it sounds like Woody Allen in analysis) - followed by breezy, tropical synth. Overall, a very strong side. The parts that approximately bookend "Little Retreats" are a great strength of Tracey Trance. The vocals - prominently featured on Fountain - are not present in this track - it's one of my favorite things about Tracey Trance. I'm definitely looking forward to the next release!
Unlike Tracey Trance, I was a newcomer - and now a convert - to Run DMT. "The Road Soda" is similar in structure to side A and displays Run DMT creating alluring melodies constructed with hazy, engulfing tones. The flip commences with an interesting monologue about the contents of the tape, before gently fading in to crystal-covered blue tones and buzzing synth. Next a conversation, ostensibly a driving lesson, leads into a loop, over which alluring, introspective tones echo in the room - shades of Boards of Canada. Next, deranged synth, barely keeping it together, spreads over the expanse. The dread of those sounds leads into a beautiful eastern-tinged loop. Later in the track, something akin to surf music, inculcated with effects, stays for a short duration. The side ends with an alluring amalgamation of ritualistic synth and bass. A great side of music. The sounds at the beginning of "The Road Soda" are absolute gold!!
This music is made for the gas mask bong - it would be profligate to not consume this entirely! Here is another bit of information: Tomentosa sold out of this tape within one day of his update. The first run is comprised of 100 tapes for $4.20. The artwork was created by Tracey Trance and Run DMT, and the tapes are professionally duplicated and imprinted on white cassette shells. Secure your copy now - and the new tape by Gem Jones - by purchasing directly from CGIFriday. Also, the future releases, including one by Ensemble Economique, look great! It's going to be an excellent year for CGIFriday.
peace to you, friends :)
