Locust - Well I'll Be A Monkey's Uncle
by Peter Liddle
published: 7 / 1 / 2003

Label:
Gold Standard Laboratories
Format: CD
intro
Inventive set of reworkings and remixes of one song, 'Well, I'll Be a Monkey's Uncle" by hardcore band, the Locust
The Locust are the crazy sound of a hardcore band being attacked by angry keyboardists that have escaped from a deep funk session, . This is a very good thing. This new release features the title song and 6 remixes. The short title track is a racket of guitar and keyboard riffs, screaming drum clatters and hardcore transitions. As a song, it is a worthy single which more than stands out on its own. The remixes are a mixed bag in terms of both style and effect. Bastard Noise's remix conforms to its title. The Wizards of War remix is all beats and samples, and , five times longer than the song it remixes, is a good listen, but bears little resemblance to the original tune. Christoph de Bablon's remix is another noise based track, as is Sinking Bo Dy's, which relies upon repeated sampling of the guitar to form a new version of the song. The Kid 606 remix is a drum spectacular, which also involves much sampling of the sound of the screaming singer. There are other moments on this though in which it seems that the samples from 'Well, I'll Be a Monkey's Uncle' were added as an afterthought , and it doesn't appear to have anything from the original song in it. While even more so than the Wizards of War remix, it its of all the remixes on this the one that bears the least resemblance to the original, it is at the same time one of the more interesting tracks. The last track by I am Spoonbender, is very similar to the original adding a few new sounds and rhythms along the way, but reincorporating the guitar riffs at a different speeds. It sounds very much like it almost could be the original version of the Locust song, and has lots of intense, heavy guitar and bass sounds. Though the CD was only 20 minutes along, and technically just 1 track, the diversity in the music is quite immense, and this alone makes it a good reason to listen to it. The contrasts between the remixes by I am Spoonbender and Kid 606 show how just how radically music's reinterpretation can lead to different results . While completely different from one another, each are effective in their own right. The combination of both electronic and guitar-based hardcore styles, and various experimentalist approaches, means that you are not left with one dull moment on this whole CD. I would recommend this to anyone interested in music with a hard hitting sound.
Track Listing:-
1 Well I'll Be A Monkey's Uncle2 Well I'll Be A Monkey's Uncle (Bastard Noise Remix)
3 Well I'll Be A Monkey's Uncle (Wizards of War Remix)
4 Well I'll Be A Monkey's Uncle (Christophe de Babalon Remix)
5 Well I'll Be A Monkey's Uncle (Sinking Body Remix)
6 Well I'll Be A Monkey's Uncle (Kid 606 Remix)
7 Well I'll Be A Monkey's Uncle (I Am Spoonbender Remix)
interviews |
Interview (2005) |
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San Diego-based, futuristic grind-core band The Locust recently celebrated their tenth anniversary. Bassist/vocalist Justin Pearson and drummer Gabe Serbian chat to Jamie Rowland about their ultra-fast, but powerful new EP, 'Safety Second, Body Last'. |
reviews |
New Erections (2007) |
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Intentionally unappealing and as a result absolutely compelling second album from drum and bass duo the Locoust |
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