A Grape Dope - Missing Dragons
(Galaxia)
While A Grape Dope's debut release, a 12" in Hefty's Immediate Action series, is really outstanding in how purely and directly it approaches dub music from a jazz and rock perspective, the project's first "real" release, Missing Dragons, tries much too earnestly to be techno music. John Herndon, founding member of Tortoise, has always been interested in DJ and techno music and probably took a large part in influencing Tortoise to follow that direction with their first two albums and the "DJed" remixes. However, here, he is trying too hard just to be another DJ. Instead of bringing in the rock musician's bag of tricks and using them in making techno music, it sounds much too much like a rock musician trying to recreate a techno artists' bag of tricks. The almost-an-album-length EP starts off with the pure headphone music of "Action: Showered Us." Drum machines bounce around the channels, and a lively bassline hides underneath the clutter. Occasionally vocal samples or other drum machine mouse-traps will interject, but essentially it's just a drum machine step show. However, that's mostly a compliment, as the song is energetic and keeps the listener interested—the most lively song on the EP. In comparison, too much of the rest of the EP just languishes, relying too much on mellow drones that never develop over time. "When You Crash and Burn" is the simplest 808 drum beat alongside a barely noticeable keyboard micro-melody. "Red Hat Attack" features guest rapping by Dose One, and it sounds like your standard "by mail" collaboration as the parts seem juxtaposed instead of organic. Herndon's music is again understated, mixed way down to give Dose One's nasally, warbled vocals room to be heard.
"Hellz Bellz" at least ends the EP well, mixing snippets of horn with a funky carousel-like bassline, reminding the listener of Herndon's past in 5ive Style. However the song, like the rest of the EP, seems a little too in your face, providing simple melodies and prominent drums like so many have done before instead of anything real. Herndon has also recently released a very limited tour CD (check your favorite music sharing app) which sounds a lot more like what one would hope for. More improvised and natural, more ambient, less by-the-numbers, less pop, less drums. Download that one first.
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