IQU with Miranda July - Girls on Dates EP
(K)
Collaborations between two artists that serve a purpose are rare. This EP,
a collaboration between experimental spoken word artist Miranda July and
organic, live instrument techno artists IQU, is one of these rare
collaborations. Miranda July's works are like short one act plays set to
music. However, the music they are set to in her normal pieces is usually
bland and nothing special, so the chance for repeat listening is slim even
if the scenes she describes are entertaining. IQU is on the opposite side
of the spectrum. They create good musical backdrops, but there is often
little in the forefront to grab your attention and make the whole thing
worthwhile. Take the best of both artists, then maybe you've got something.
The first song, "Girls on Dates," is totally nonsensical. First you've got a
girl being interviewed by police at the scene of a paranormal crime. The girl
herself is a little paranormal, spelling her name "Staves" S-T-I-N-G, and being
seemingly unable to remember important details like there's a dead guy in
the room at her feet. Weird. Then, the song morphs into a date where the
same girl is condescendingly talking to a mute, making fun of his inability
to talk. The music keeps the dialogue going, the upright bass creating a
bouncy flow. The song will no doubt get a few "what the hell was that about"
listenings.
The highlight, though, is the song "Kida Co-Coma." There are three characters,
a mother, a daughter, and her best friend. The daughter is in a coma, and
the best friend is visiting in order to take care of the daughter while the
mother goes out. The music matches the dialogue incredibly well, its
repetitive drums creating a trance-like state so that when the best friend
urges coma-girl to "stop breathing" in order to show some last connection
to the conscious world, you may just stop breathing yourself. The mood and
emotion of the piece intensifies when the mother reacts with anger when
she comes back early to find the friend attempting to communicate with her
daughter.
The EP is completed by remixes of these two songs by members of IQU.
Like the other IQU material I've heard, the music makes a decent backdrop,
but it really just isn't that interesting (actually, these are even worse
than IQU's normal material). However, overall, this EP may well
be worth getting just for "Kida Co-Coma." You definitely need to hear this
song, even if you aren't going to buy the EP. Making fun of the comatose is
really just a way of celebrating our own consciousness.
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