Brainchops :: The Braindance Blog

Global Goon
Quones
[J-HOK :: 2011]

Review + Free Download

Just 4 months after the release of his Earwhig LP featuring older unreleased tracks, Global Goon has snuck out yet another free long player called Quones, this time full of brand-spankin' new electronic tunes covering styles such as '70s electro funk, robot pop, chiptune and, of course, the quirky braindance we can always count on.


Classic Goon beats and bubbly sound synthesis akin to selections from his early Rephlex output are prevalent in tracks like "Wut", "Thindex" and "Borkend" while others such as "Tremulkane", "Fenikal", and "Bouncers of Gneygorg" venture into vocal territory, both heavily vocoded and non.  Title track "Quones" has a sexy '70s vinyl sound that brings the album to its sensual funk climax with the priceless vocal line, "Sending vibrations through the Milky Wayyyy..."  But it's not long before we are yanked out of our afro-topped stupors and zapped into "Super Noodles", a plodding 8-bit style video game soundtrack full of bleeps and thonks.  The understated "Duopoly" is a highlight for me with its subtle but hum-along-able melody and a beat made up of farty lasers, anvil strikes and a persistent kick.  Exploring such a wide variety of vibes leaves this album feeling just short of disjointed, but certainly keeps the listener entertained with a potpourri of fun and unpredictable sounds.

A "quone", according to the Urban Dictionary, is a "non word" played in the game of Scrabble.  There are a few other definitions listed but taking these wacky track titles into account, I think it's safe to say "non word" is the theme.

UPDATE FEB-05-2011 :: Added new album cover artwork created by Global Goon.  When this review was originally written, Mr. J-Hok hadn't included any album artwork in the album's download .zip, so Brainchops created one to fill the space.  The temporary cover will remain archived here for posterity.  Extra points if you recognize the pattern.