Various Artists - Now That’s What I Call Already Dead!

A Closer Listen

We can’t believe Josh Tabbia’s Already Dead Tapes is 15 years old, because we can remember when it was born and now it’s almost old enough to drive!  Moving around a bit, from Chicago to New York, the imprint is now in L.A. and has hundreds of releases under its belt spanning dozens of micro-genres.

Now That’s What I Call Already Dead! is a super-fun entry point to the label, a mix of instrumental and vocal tracks, with an instrumental midsection that casts a spell for nearly the length of a classic album. The cassette is like an amazing mixtape from a friend who knows all the cool bands: the ones who avoid mainstream ideas, while remaining accessible and appealing.  The cover art is perfectly chosen, both homage and commentary, positioning the tape as an alternative to the long-running series. which went dormant after its 89th release, a year and a day before the Already Dead compilation.  The biggest difference: the original series collected songs people already knew, while the new series introduces listeners to songs appearing nowhere else.  In all, 21 artists are presented, representing nearly an hour and a half of music.

Slurred Oath starts the set with a soothing slice of shoegaze, recalling Cocteau Twins ~ until a massive slab of distortion descends and retreats and attacks.  Years ago, we describe the label’s sound as fuzzy, and it’s good to hear that this hasn’t changed.  The first instrumental piece, Enemy Zero‘s “Absence,” starts crunchy before turning ghostlike and then percussive.  This performance art project released a subscriber-only album on NO PART OF IT two days ago, tackling themes of A.I., surveillance, and information overload.  While Heavy Heavy Low Low works in an entirely different genre, it retains a confrontational tone, a short, complementary blast of metallic punk. Clone Stamp turns to surf rock, with a dynamic vocal lead.  We suspect this band kills it live.  The distortions of cop funeral travel speaker-to-speaker like wandering, aggressive minstrels.

While SH!TOMATO may have difficulty selling t-shirts, they make an immediate impression with brass blasts and retro sci-fi samples; we’d love an instrumental version of “OOEYGEODUCK,” as its lurching club energy reminds us of Fingathing’s “Big Monsters Crush Cities.”  Jay Howard picks up the thread with samples and static on “We Have Evidence to Believe (Redux),” like a bank of radio dials searching for a signal.  The artist operates under a bank of pseudonyms, and there’s plenty more where this came from.  Due to the matching timbre, one can barely distinguish the shift to Sloppy McCoy‘s “Government Condolences,” whose opening seconds mark a perfect segue from “Evidence,” before the track transforms into a power punk anthem including a beautiful Pixies-esque breakdown.

Continuing the brilliant sequencing, Spotted Dick extends the higher tempo on “Bakeoff,” which honors Kraftwerk; a great dance track, with multiple vocal samples.  One man band Mezzanine Swimmers was earlier described as making “music for people who like pop melodies stretched, warped, and weirded out,” now exemplified in “Rubber and Rice.”  Sobbing Honey, often known to release half-hour tracks, provides an ambient excerpt of a new work; we expect more to come.

If one were perfectly triangulated between a video arcade, a religious service and a seance, one might look up to see a sign reading peopling; the energy of 2023’s Appearance is transferred to “AtARaXy WaY.”  Human Adult Band contributes a two-minute slice of sludge, making us want seconds.  Michael Potter‘s instrumental demo “Nowhere Left to Run” drips with drams and the sense of a chase, with wild electronics grounded by a repeated melodic phrase.  The name Fuck Lungs counteracts radio mention, but we suspect the artist doesn’t care; “98” comes across as a thoughtful avant-jazz improvisation, while Painted Faces begins with hiss and thrum, finally breaking the instrumental spell with a bout of vocals.  Ian McPhee restores the trance with a massive drone, “Hollow” an impenetrable industrial nightmare; and yes, that’s a compliment.

And now, the grand finale.  The title of Matt Robideux‘s “Green Becoming Golden” suggests the electronic work may be a perfect piece for fall, while Nandele contributes a global vibe to the club-friendly “Mbau!”  The Mozambique producer impressed us with last year’s concept album 1994, also on Already Dead Tapes, and continues to go from strength to strength with the new recording.  Receive slows the tempo on “Steeped,” bringing things full circle with the album’s second touch of shoegaze, and The Binary Marketing Show closes the curtains in ambience and spoken word, a reflective and satisfying ending.

Want to hear music you’ve already heard?  Try Now That’s What I Call Music!  Want to hear new music from artists you may or may not know?  Try Now That’s What I Call Already Dead.  The tape took us outside our instrumental comfort zone, and we still felt at home; we suspect the same will be true for our readers.  Happy 15th anniversary to Already Dead Tapes, who proves they are still very much alive!  (Richard Allen)