Psychedelic Porn Crumpets
"High Visceral (Part One)"
I have a confession to make…I hate the vinyl subreddit. I just cannot stand folks saying “finally found my white whale!” and then posting about some record that’s readily available if you’re willing to spend $100 which they scored for $80.
(literary side note: MONEY wasn’t what kept Ahab from getting Moby Dick, it was time and patience and scouring the entire fucking ocean for one specific whale)
(personal side note: I’ve never read Moby Dick, just guessing on that theory)
Furthermore, the faux expertise, condition preciousness (inner sleeve seam-splits?!?!?!) and general noobishness exhibited by a of the majority of posts straight up rubs me the wrong way.
Maybe one in a hundred threads is legitimately interesting to me. But still I read on…with a heart full of hate.
So late one night, a few weeks ago, I’d stumbled upon this post about Psychedelic Porn Crumpets.
https://www.reddit.com/r/vinyl/comments/63afyw/incredible_looking_variant_for_an_incredible/
Intrigued by the RIYL’s of King Gizzard and Meatbodies and not afraid of Australian shipping charges, I bought this and Rhubarb Jam LP direct from the label.
Discs arrived this week (a month for delivery…yeesh!) and was excited to put on the Crumpets LP. I’d always felt like I missed the boat on King Lizard and thought maybe I could get in on the ground floor with this seemingly similar band.
Vinyl color way is stunning and as a limited pressing (250 copies) everything seemed to line up perfectly.
Needle drops and I dig. Gnarly. Heavy. Just right. Like the original Shocking Blue version of “Love Buzz."
Then the vocals kick in…and something feels wrong. Like Sigur Ros vocals, only weirder and less intelligible.
Oh man…I’m playing this at 33rpm when it should be 45rpm.
I adjust the speed and…ugh, it sounds no bueno. The playing is way too fast. Almost like it’s a joke. I can’t take it. Someone give these guys some pot, put 5 pound weights on their wrists, drop tune their guitars, something ANYTHING to slow this down and chill it out. The ultimate takeaway is that it comes off like a less frenetic, less odd version, uncomfortably strident version of the Oh Sees at their amp’d up best.
Or…just listen to it at 33rpm and dig it like I’m doing now.
As a HUGE King Gizzard fan (since the summer of 2014) and general Australian Psych Rock fan I too had come across this band via Reddit and the KGATLW subreddit/ FB page. I think Ben is spot on with this review. I tried, I really did. I listened to a few of their songs on their Bandcamp and just couldn’t get into them. The vinyl is beautiful, the guitars are fuzzy, but I couldn’t get on board once I heard the vocals. I gave it multiple attempts, but ultimately it just wasn’t for me.
Currrently have part 2 on rotation an i find it a slightly better record.The Oz Psych scene is very healthy at the moment. Come on Australian postage rates, at least you get an exchange rate discount .When i buy from the US and see the postage I instantly get a tightening of the anus.
Very Interested?
Never really got into reddit but appreciate the sharing of information. I had something I chased several years, not sure it reached “white whale” mythos but was damn happy to finally get a copy a couple months ago of a Cake single out of the UK. Last 7" I need for a full set of commercial vinyl releases.
This Porn Crumpets stuff, I’ll pass.
I like the sound of this… Reminds me of a deconstructed Blind Idiot God once they grew up and started making payments on a sofa or a girl…. Dirge Fusion…. I can get some work done in the studio to this…. Not gonna up cash for the vinyl though
Interesting
They had me at the band name, really—but I do really dig this. Thanks for sharing! Also, I hear you about the whale-pursuers. Not to mention that the next week they’re pursuing a whole different whale, which also isn’t how it works.
Same thing happened with me with the new Damaged Bug—was loving it until John started singing and I realized it was the wrong speed. Lost something for me. (However, the 45 for “Year of the Cat” when played at 33 is a sweet childhood memory—never could listen to that at the correct speed.)
I kinda like it… then again I’m a sugar junkie… so it’s about my usual speed.
Sounds good to me that this speed.
As always, thanks for sharing.