Porno Galactica
MixTape Vol. 1
Mission Freak
Before Metallica and Napster ever butted heads, people used to venture
out and by their music on something called compact discs. Then, came
the era of the download. Now, artists like Porno Galactica can spread
their music without having to busk out on the pavement. Porno
Galactica, consists of Don and Phil Rabalais. They have made their
first release, Mixtape Vol. 1 directly available to anyone with an
internet connection and a computer. The release doesn’t sound like
anything you’d expect from Fairfield, Iowa.
The record starts out with a Pulp Fiction quote, “Everybody be cool
this is a robbery!” That is an apt description of the record. It moves
like you’d imagine a bank heist would. The tempo escalates as the
album progresses. The hyper kinetic sound leaves you barely anytime to
think about what your listening to.
This is the record’s ultimate undoing. Most of the tracks seemed to
blend together almost too well. It’s true that this would make great
background music at a party. As I sat listening in my room, I felt
like a thousand people should have been there with me.
I found myself quickly forgetting which track was which. Most were
lost in a sea of bleeps and bloops and revved up chants from rappers.
The famous Houston chopped and screwed rap sound does not need to be
sped up. The pace of the songs exhausted me after one listen.
Most of the songs contained in Mixtape Vol. 1 have the bells and
whistles but not the substance. The album lacked cohesiveness and any
semblance of a theme. The songs were patched together without much
rhyme or reason. Most of the mixtape mistakes loudness for music.
There are moments, however, when Porno Galactica’s sound works. “Sail
Away” turns Enya’s “Orinoco Flow” from a somber New Age bore into a
fast paced dance romp. Enya’s groove and Porno’s beats an amazing
symbiotic relationship. “Mason Remale” uses some heavy guitar samples
to stick out from the pack.
On “I’m Not Shy Mister” the mixtape comes to a resounding conclusion.
The duo turns a bunch of Nintendo sounds into a rock and roll opus.
Porno Galactica obviously has talent. They have put together an
intriguing, if messy, mix-tape debut. We’ll have to wait and see what
their full-length disk sounds like.
