John Rifle – Fracas Nurture

This album is a story of a pop star, John Rifle. Series of homemade samples and stolen samples create the plot line with a soundtrack of epic pop piano music. He is signed (track 3). His hit single, Billboard (track 5), makes it big at WSHT radio (track 4), he signs to a bigger label (track 6), starts drinking heavily, starts doing drugs,(track 7) does TV interviews (track 8), OD’s on drugs (tracks 13/14), fakes his death (track 20), comes back (track 21) , and really dies(?). You most likely won’t get the full story with the first listen, because the piano music makes the story secondary. The samples seem to be there to complement the music. Exploring the band’s website, www. johnrifle.com, gives little information about who John Rifle really is, but it does give you lots to play with.

1) Intro 2)**Dreamy piano, and fem vocals, with emergency radio samples. 3) A documentary of pre-fame John Rifle. Documentary style piano music over viewing his past. Discussion of when John signed a record deal. 4) FCC, WSHT - shit radio. Mic break. 5) John Rifle’s big “hit”, Billboard. Lots of samples and dialogue with peppy piano music. FCC’s, mother fucker and fucking. Ends with Columbine clips. 6)**Good ironic clips spoofing the recording industries. “John, are you ready to join the team over at Universal? John?” “John, how do you feel about remixes?” Keyboard, guitar and drums play throughout the samples. 7)**Drug and drinking theme. “I drink a little, I’ve smoked pot, I’ve tried heroin” 8) TV interview with John. He is asked about his album art of rabbits in sexual positions and his use of columbine footage. 9) Clips of interviews of pop stars with xylophone music. 10/11) clips commenting on the media influence of youth. Comments on musicians role in this and how this is harmful and suicidal. 12) Lots of praise for John Rifle. Clips that act as though John Riffle is N’ Sync. “The winner of this year’s people’s choice award is… John Rifle” 13) More WSHT radio. John Rifle OD’s during a tour in Europe. Suicide attempt? 14) “Hospitalized after ODing while on tour in Italy”. Helicopter samples, emergency radio samples, and reporting samples with horn and piano playing repetitive intense music. 15/16/17)**Discussion of why John ODed. Discussion of it being a potential suicide attempt. Piano, xylophone and drums playing an appropriately intense song. 18/19) John’s in a coma. Light hospital piano music. Breathing and hospital samples. 20) He fakes his death. With heaven style xylophone music. Samples talking about never finding his body. 21) John’s resting and is in rehab. Hopeful sounding piano music. 22) Talk of John’s post-pop star life. Music shifts to a more ominous sound, and talk of John’s true death is foreshadowed. FCC, fucking. 24) I’m not sure what this one’s about. barely audible FCC, “go fuck yourself” 25) A mix of clips of the other tracks.