Brainchops :: The Braindance Blog

We Are Uncomfortable People
WAUP 10
[Self Released :: 2010]
Volume 10 of a Series
Free Download

7/10

I have an open mind when it comes to how music is made, but I do have a confession to make.  Knowing that something was lovingly and painstakingly made with physical hardware instrumentation (versus strictly software) gives it a greater worth to me.  I am certain that this mindset stems from having worked played countless hours with various pieces of hardware myself, and being able to appreciate the stimulation and enjoyment the composer must have experienced during his or her process.  This understanding adds another element that is taken into consideration while listening that often allows me to get into a recording even deeper.

Such is the case with the We Are Uncomfortable People project.  Each volume is a small collection of hardware jams from alternating co-conspirators "Hard Cornelis" (aka Fah) and "Mad Mads" (aka Retape) that get more creative and diverse with each installment, and their latest is one of their best yet.  Keeping with the tradition of previous volumes, Cornelis and Mads separately contribute their own tracks but with WAUP 10 we get 3 from each instead of only 2.  Each artist's style and background are quite different, Mad Mads being kind of crazy and un-tamed while Cornelis maintains a more refined and traditional acid approach, but the two combined achieve a sort of yin-yang balance that works quite well.

It's always a guessing game as to what the overall vibe of each release will be as it varies from volume to volume, ranging from progressive and hardcore acid to humorous oddball melodies to sometimes melancholy hymns, but the familiar sounds of their respective synth and drum machine collections manipulated with their own personal styles keep a common thread running through the entire series.  WAUP 10 takes on a more low-key experimental feel, which brings me back to my earlier point.  Mad Mads' "Untitled" track is based on a sliding two-note bassline and straightforward kick drum but he spends the entire 4m21s on another channel tweaking knobs to create this kind of exploratory solo that keeps you engrossed until the very end.  Listening to this piece, and all the pieces within WAUP 10, you can almost feel yourself in the artists' space... the faint aroma of baking circuitboards hanging in the air... vibrations of sound waves buzzing across the floor and up your spine... making the ability to really feel the music one of its greatest qualities.  "Cornelis Counter" is a warm, pensive warbler with an enveloping reverb and a hypnotic beat that casts a spell over your brain.  "Brendan Fraser Acid" is a favorite in this collection, the acid equivalent of a happy slow-paced walk through the park.  It starts off simple and somewhat bouncy, but as it goes on you start to feel the effects of some kind of psychoactive you ingested earlier and suddenly the world around you begins to unfold.  I think rather than wasting time and energy on complexity or theme in these tracks, the boys let their patterns breathe and repeat, enjoying the atmosphere they were creating, and living in the moment.  Sharing the resulting recordings with us is like an invitation to a memory; a Vulcan mind meld of music.




Allegedly the WAUP project began as a joke, the name of course being a humorous nod to WARP's "We Are Reasonable People" compilation.  Though many seriously good tracks have come out of it, I believe it's this kind of jovial approach to music making that allows an artist to be creatively free, transcending all boundaries and expectations within a genre.  With the WAUP releases Cornelis and Mads bring you along on their analog explorations and it's a fun ride.  Do yourself a favor and snag Volume 10, or if you have some catching up to do, the whole series (see below).

Tracklisting:
1. Mad Mads - WAUP10 Grand Opening - 1:36
2. Hard Cornelis - Cornelis Counter - 5:52
3. Mad Mads - Brendan Fraser Acid - 3:04
4. Hard Cornelis - Count Cornelis - 5:15
5. Mad Mads - Untitled - 4:21
6. Hard Cornelis - Corrie's Toolbox - 6:09

Download WAUP 10 :: ZIP (40.5 MB)

Download Series WAUP 1-10 :: ZIP (275 MB) Over 3 Hours of Experimental Acid!

Links :: WAUP Series Official Site | Fah MySpace | Retape MySpace