The Soul Surfers
“Signals” b/w “My Crew”
scum stats: I think 250 copies pressed
I’m usually not one for futzing around playing records at the wrong speed…yeah, I know Nirvana’s Meat Puppets covers at 45rpm sound like Phish, that Wanda Jackson’s “Funnel of Love” at 33rpm is so good as to warrant inclusion on a Jarmusch soundtrack and that Dolly’s “Jolene” at 33rpm becomes a funk track sung by a heartbroken man.
All that being said, the Soul Surfers “Signals” is bonkers good at ANY SPEED I THROW AT IT.
The proper 45rpm, no doubt, these guys are professionals and their tunes are solid. Every day of the week. Worth the price of admission alone.
But from there, pitched down 10-20 percent, the song ventures into territory akin to killer instrumental backing track to never-before-heard 90’s g-funk era smash. This is the best version.
45rpm pitched up 20% is equal parts frantic video game theme song and mumblecore rap inspiration.
At 33rpm, shit is BONGED-OUT island dub, hazy through the cloud of second-hand THC atmospherics.
Pitched down 20% from 33rpm and this, well, I don’t know much about vaporwave, but this is what I expect it to sound like. Makes me want to watch purple-filtered chopped up clips of the Simpsons, you know?
HOW IN THE HELL DOES THIS WORK? WHAT IS THE MATH SCIENCE TO EXPLAIN SUCH BRILLIANCE? IS IT THE BASS LINE? I THINK IT MIGHT BE THE BASS LINE.
Seriously, the +/- 20% pitch control on this AT-LP120 turntable has already paid for itself a thousand times over.
If anyone can get “Signals” to any of the pitch designations I describe above and provide links, share ‘em here in the comments and I’ll reward you. Share that shit!
I just got the copy I ordered from Discogs and am too lazy this evening to play around with playback speed but, holy crap, is this really the same band that did Soul Surf and Tornado?
that’s some tripped out space jive sound, thank you
David Bowie’s Let’s Dance has been a long time favorite when messing with speed, slow is the way to go!
I can’t find a way to record and repost the play back but if you are using Chrome you can add on this extension ( https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/video-speed-controller/nffaoalbilbmmfgbnbgppjihopabppdk?hl=en ) and it will add a speed control to the top left of any youtube video. Listening to it pitched up 20% at 1.2 speed seems to be the sweet spot and pretty enjoyable. Playing it as close to what 33rpm would be right between .7 and .8 speed is still listenable and I can totally agree with the hazy THC influenced sound. Taking it any slower for me get a little to hazy for me and borderline scary. This add on extension will allow you to take it down to 0.07 speed which is completely ridiculous and i would say could cause harm to your speakers.I’m not sure this is exactly what you were looking for Ben but it’s the best I could come up with and now I’m going down a youtube rabbit hole at various speeds. I hope at the very least someone has some fun with this.
I remember “speed tampering” back in the day when turntables had 4 speeds (16,33,45 & 78). Of course 7 & 8 yr. olds did it for giggles then. I did play a New Order LP once at a party accidently at 45 rpm and nobody noticed…..
just the speed of sound I needed to clean out my spice cabinet. Thanks, Ben.
Listened to Wanda slowed down…..WOW.
Very nice!I dig it.
I can see listening to this looking out a window at a winter snow ice landscape. The production of sound is fantastic. The idea of speed tampering is interesting. I remember syncing Dark Side of the Moon with the Wizard of Oz. Imagination is a wonderful thing and in so doing becomes reality.
Damn, I love the last Soul Surfers 45 you introduced us to. Gotta go look for this one now.