Vakki Plakkula – Babirussa Capibara
Reviewed by Sadie O., 2/5/10
Avant-prog jazz madness. Apparently formed in Bologna, which is possibly fitting. I can’t find much information online, and there’s no liner notes, so that’s about it, folks! It does, I think, answer the musical question “Are the Italians bums-up crazy?” (hint: “yes”) Makes Caparezza sound like top 40.
No FCCs detected – only one song in English. I like 2, 4, 9 best.
1. 3:14 ***sax blat, then midtempo funky groovy sashay with catchy chorus. Insanely fun. Completely gonzo sax solo.
2. 4:13 ****Yikes! BIG FAT BASS. Complex beat, blatty horn. Utterly evil vocals. GNARLY.
3. 2:54 ***seems to be riffing flugelhorn, uptempo limping groove and maybe the ghost of Jello Biafra. Grunts and squeebles midway through. When it suddenly comes back, there’s a bit of a nursery rhyme feel.
4. 4:04 ****bass sax, ponderous beat, death metal vocals. Y’alls are gonna love this. It’s MAD.
5. 1:31 ***well, it’s almost like lounge and a bit like the Bonzos. Mostly sax and smooth vocals and a ginchy beat.
6. 2:18 *Italian lounge vocals and completely manic sax and drums. The sax will annoy everyone (possibly not Bill or Edwin).
7. 5:53 ***sqeeps and twitters for several seconds, then very uptempo minimalist march of the insects and happy chant about Capibaras.
8. 4:39 *phone ringing, bit of conversation… mournful sax, cymbals, singing about being in space. Very avant.
9. 3:11 *****yell and squeeps, then super-funky groovy midtempo something, fun vocals. A bit Zappa-esque.
10. 0:59 *electronic thrums, monsters.
11. 4:22 **ha! Claps and goofiness in English, then disjointed beat and blats. Nothing like Ragga, but absolutely irregulary.
12. 1:59 ***slow funkyoid metallish something.
13. 6:49 **it’s the slow dance number! Texas Two-step on valium and ipecac, with Tony Bennett turning miserably in his grave. Oh! Then it goes kinda vaguely Caribbean Italian lounge… Actually only lasts 3:15 secs, then silence for 2 minutes, then the hidden track starts 1:30 from the end – a bit of track 5.