Foot Village

FOOT VILLAGE
ANTI-MAGIC (Cassette Version)
(Rock Is Hell Records)
Posted by Jason Glastetter

http://www.theendofirony.net/2009/12/album-review-foot-village-anti-magic.html

Before I even start writing this review I should probably point out a conflict of interest. Back when Foot Village announced that they were recording a new album, they asked for submissions to help them create a “We Are the World” style version of the album’s final song, “Chicken & Cheese 2.” I put on my musician’s hat and submitted my cover of their song. My version appears in a strange mix alongside many other artists (including Lucky Dragons, AIDS Wolf, and Radio Shock) on the cassette version of Anti-Magic, which is different from the iTunes and CD versions.

Self-interest aside, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Foot village. The concept of the band is one of those things that many have had the idea for but few (if any) have ever actually pulled it off. Four drummers, all of whom sing into the air or megaphones, simply pound their hearts out for the entire length of the album. The end result sounds like a mix of something tribal in nature with elements from the noise scene (they aren’t afraid of feedback!). There are times I wonder how they create some of the sounds that they do with this setup–the last song on the first side has something that totally sounds like a squealing guitar, but there’s no mention of it in the liner notes–it would almost seem contrary to the band’s image anyway.

However, in this case I am specifically reviewing the cassette version of Anti-Magic–it’s not just due to that element of self-interest described above! I have a soft spot for cassettes, but I learned not too long ago that simply throwing a recording onto cassette isn’t always appealing. Foot Village not only make it work, they’ve crafted a sound that might just sound better on that whirring magnetic tape. Yes, there is a bit of hum to it (perhaps just from the fact that my tape player is not that great), but it also is warm in way. There are still bands that insist on recording with magnetic tape for this “warm” feel, so is it any stretch for a band to achieve this same effect by releasing the songs on cassette?

The thing that impressed me most about Anti-Magic on cassette weren’t all these nuanced things–it was that there was actually a great deal of care taken into making this an actual release. The tape is numbered (mine is 17 out of 100), and comes is a little box with full album art. It seems only slightly shrunken from what the CD might look like. Considering how easily music is pirated these days, this offers something different and unique on a DIY budget.

Oh, and if you’re wondering how “Chicken & Cheese 2″ sounds on this…one word: amazing.