Gardening - Molly EP
[Gianthammer]

The name Gardening may conjure images of that horrible, middle-age past-time and the subject matter of the “Molly Ep” (“cups of tea and doggy smiles”) may reinforce these sentiments, but the music on offer here is anything but ‘safe’, This is old skool Rephlex acid where vintage keys/synths meet rapid-fire beats, amen breaks and razored mash-ups of analogue blips and squelches. Think Amen Andrews, think Bogdan Racsynski, think the madness that is Aphex Twin’s much-maligned “Druqks” opus.

The heavenly opening strains of intro “You Have Your Feet” will, in no way, prepare you for what is about to happen. “We Are Copies” catapults into a series of random, ricocheting beats with those buzzsaw sound effects and stop-start dynamics a certain Mr. Twin built his legacy upon. “Prinid Skitnid” (a Lynard Skynard parody perhaps?) also harks back to Aphex’s “Analogue Bubblebath” days, while “Nipl’s” whiplashing beatwork, interspersed by dog barks, and dramatic synths is easily the disc’s most inspired moment.

That’s not to say it is all frenetic programming, “Auto Go Go”, for example, features a peculiarly pleasant melodic intro before it descends into a maelstrom of chaotic electronic percussion. “I Hope I Know You in Forty Years”, meanwhile, brings things down several (hundred) notches, allowing a much needed pause for breath, with its hopeful, analogue synthesizer progression.

Although, it doesn’t particularly break any new ground the “Molly Ep” has been recorded all in the name of great fun. The inventive “Nipl”, though, suggests there is an underlying talent buried within all the craziness.

Track Listing:

You Have Four Feet
We Are Copies
Prinid Skitnid
Nipl
I Hope I Know You In 40 Years
Auto Go Go
Acid For the Dog