And now for something completely different. Last year I wrote about the excellent “Conscript in an Alien Empire” by F2RC, which I found to be a challenging musical exposition on the “state-of-the-nation.” That record left you with a lot to contemplate, and was heavy at times. In contrast, this new one from F2RC is what I think people in the music biz refer to as “fun.”
The concept here is that F2RC has reworked several well-known classical music pieces using electronics and drum machines. We start off with a short, simple and sweet chiptune version of Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and work our way to the ending track – a longish workout of “Symphony No. 9” by Beethoven. In between you’ll hear treats like “Für Elise,” which at the beginning sounds like it’s being played on Kraftwerk’s pocket calculator, but eventually gets a heavier, slightly downtempo musical treatment. And not being a slave to the sheet music allows F2RC to produce an almost unrecognizable but amusing turntablism influenced “Marriage of Figaro Overture;” certainly played as Mozart intended.
Even if symphonies (or robots, for that matter) are not your “thing,” please don’t overlook “Symphonic Noise Robots in Space” or you’ll miss out on a real ode to joy.