[batreleaser]

I love this record. This is the record I've always wanted Black Dice to make. For the longest time they were just genre jumping way to much to ever really find thier voice. We all loved them back in the days of "Lambs like Fruit" and "Printed Paper" and they were the most ripping hardcore bad making noise around. Then "Beaches and Canyons" came out with its lush and beautiful atmospheric electronics, and it really sounded like some other Black Dice that no one had ever heard before. Of course Pitchfork still referred to it as Noise but that's because they are idiots. I really admired Black Dice for doing "beaches" and I still think its a great record. However, "Creature Comforts" and "Broken Ear Record" did nothing for me, to much genre-bouncing and not enough focus. "Load Blown" did restore some of my faith though, it was an interesting listen.

"Repo" is a whole nother animal though. This is probably what we will consider the "quintessential" Black Dice album as it really is just a culmination of all the various styles they've played around with and utilizing them all to find this sort of master sound. It has elements of the pretty but quirky atmospherics and kraut circular qualties of "B and C", the bouncing techno of the next two records, the drugged out experimentation, and even some of that harsh attitude they were known for in the hardcore days and still shines through live. Like when Olson joined the Wolf Pack, or Rollins joining Black Flag, the sound finally just comes together on this record. It sounds like some too smart for thier own good harsh noise kids who are totally bored with power electronics and idustrial and instead have been ingesting ridiculous amounts of drugs and jamming to early Detroit Techno, minimal synth, big band psychedelic funk, fun drones ala vibracathedral orchestra. I really like this record, Its just so varied and has so much going on. Its good to see Black Dice with this record and bands like Exceptor with "Debt Dept" after the entire decade of the on and off hype that they are finally just saying fuck it, going off the deep end, and making truly strange and unique new tunes.