March 2014

By Erik “Jit” Scheele

The first full minute features a dying dot matrix printer, and I can see how that might be off-putting. But there’s a very cool piano melody hiding behind it. And the echoey, distant, tinny drum beat really contrasts well with the weird techno-noise that hovers in the background.

By Erik “Jit” Scheele

One of the album’s bonus tracks. It’s jazzier and more improvisational than the prior  versions of this tune. Like a victory lap, or more appropriately, an encore.

By Erik “Jit” Scheele

As a ‘boss fight’ track, it falls a little short. The relatively modest ensemble, which works so well on the rest of the album, holds this one back. The melody speaks of danger (especially the ‘flight of the bumblebee’ interlude towards the middle), but there’s no imminence to it, no lack of control. Compare this to another epic villain track, Eternity Served Cold: the horns absolutely roar out the arrival of the big bad guy

It’s the final minute of the track that really makes me a fan: a reserved, wistful little fanfare. Like victory, but at great cost. Its intimacy, the same aspect that pushes me away from the rest of the song, draws me closer to this bit. The lead-in to Mother is superb, and only reinforces the effect.

By Robert J! Lake

JUST THE THOUGHT OF GANGSTA SQUIDDLES IS ENOUGH TO MAKE ME LAUGH! MAYBE PLUMBTHROAT’S PISSED OFF AT THEM BECAUSE THEY BLEW HOLES IN HIS BOAT IN A SWIM-BY SHOOTING! OCEANSIDE, MOTHERFUCKER!

AND THIS SONG’S SEEN A SURPRISING AMOUNT OF RECENT ATTENTION: ASTRO KID CUT A REMIX FOR LOFAM 3, AND RJ JUST KICKED OUT A NEW REMIX YOU CAN FIND HERE!

By Alexander Rosetti. Featuring Toby “Radiation” Fox as Skipper Plumbthroat

A SAD TALE OF A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER AND HIS STRUGGLE WITH DEBT! IT WOULD BE PITY-INDUCING, IF IT WEREN’T FOR THE FACT THAT THIS GUY SEEMS TO WIN HALF THE TIME AND KILL MOST OF THE SQUIDDLES!

By Michael Guy Bowman

THE FAINTLY CONDESCENDING “WELL, OF COURSE, CHILD!” MAKES IT ALL WORTH IT!