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November 15, 2004
Buildings and Canyons make fine landmarks
Michael Mayer - Lovefood
This is not the sexiest song on Michael Mayer's forthcoming 'Touch' LP, but it is one of the best. It's the second half of the 'food' suite, which begins with 'Slowfood', and ends with the lonesome bass figure at the conclusion of this track. 'Lovefood' is 100% intrigue: raised eyebrows, whispered conversations, and glances filtered through smoke and guilt. It's also the only song on 'Touch' to prominently feature vocals- the female narrator softly hisses the same five phrases into the listener's ear, with only slight variations. "Give me love/Give me lovefood/Give me love so that I can kill/Give me love because I can kill/She's not real"- this is the woman's list of demands, which, given only the first two sentences, seems sort of meh. Then, whoa, she just kind of casually mentions that, of her many skills, her forte is really assassination. Not something you customarily hear on a first date. And she implies that the 'other woman' is not only unreal (con), but also incapable of killing (pro). Michael Mayer, you rascal. Picking up chicks who worship the RAF.
'Lovefood' starts off with a dark, brooding guitar line that is echoed later on by a watery synth that sounds a lot like a tremolo-picked guitar- swooping, sleek, and dangerous. What this track reminds me of more than anything is Portishead's earlier work, which was (as admitted by the band) influenced mainly by spy movie soundtracks, film noir, and old torch songs. Which is just fantastic, in my opinion. Every nuance of 'Lovefood' speaks to something desperate and depraved, and also calculated, in a way. Michael Mayer, who runs the AMAZING Kompakt label in Cologne, has outdone himself with this album (which people have been drooling over the prospect of a full-length from him since he started releasing mixes), and should be praised for managing to combine so many incongruous musical elements into an album that is not only very intellectually compelling, but also viscerally affecting (i.e. it makes me want to dance like a drunken werewolf). Kompakt has actually sold-out of the CD version, so if you want it now, you'll have to go with the vinyl. Purchase it from this place! This record is a ticket to partytown, and I say that without even a hint of sarcasm.
Posted by matt at November 15, 2004 08:00 AM
Comments
I want to ask why you're spending time on the Baader-Meinhoff website. Is this a new found interest in West German history?
Posted by: Sean at November 16, 2004 12:43 AM