Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA Pirato Ketchup - Speed Surfer
 | Speed Surfer is loaded with engaging, original, and way off the beaten path surf music. There may only be a handful of tracks here, but there is a ton of invention and abnormal musical thinking. Check your attitude hat at the door and prepare for new horizons. Pirato Ketchup is to surf what Captain Beefheart (RIP) is to the electric blues! |
Picks: Escape From Tridion, Alaska, Black Ocean, Kryptonic, Dr. Krokov, Surf Soire
Track by Track Review
Surf (Instrumental)
Maury-like chants and pumping bass with rockabilly drums drive two guitars, one dry and one heavily reverbed. "Speed Surfer" is an unusual song mostly, with a dissonant jam break in the middle. Fun and frantic.
Surf (Instrumental)
Murky reverb and cool surf drums support double picked surf guitar with in-sync bass. Occasional keyboard glissandos and a soaring break take it outside and bring it back alive.
Surf (Instrumental)
Murky reverb and hand claps with a moody melody line... "Alaska" is very unusual. It took me a bit to decide it was OK, and then I started to really like it. Highly original, and grin infected!
Surf (Instrumental)
Moody and as dark as its title, with big slide chords and disturbed imagery while waves lap at the shore... "Black Ocean" is crunchy, unsettling, and compelling. More a scene than a song, but what a scene! Slow and commanding. It serves as an intro for and segues into "Kryptonic," which follows.
Surf (Instrumental)
Evil, menacing, and rather unnatural, "Kryptonic" is part dungeonous terror and military drama. It is remarkably abnormal and compelling. Very original!
Surf (Instrumental)
"Dr. Krokov" is easily the most "normal" track on this disc. Its melody is Russian flavored, and it's sound is Cossack surf with a Russian narrative here and there. At times, the musical structure reminds me of Vibrasonic / The Space Agency. I love this!
Surf (Instrumental)
"Surf Soire" is a hidden track 666 seconds out from the last track. It's a grin-boggled interpretation of "Dominique," the 1963 hit by The Singing Nun (Soeur Sourire). It's just disturbed enough to love, and pretty enough to be tolerated by those persnickety house guests of yours.