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Chipmunkson16speed is the plunderphonics/novelty project of Brian Borcherdt. Taking music originally recorded by the Chipmunks, Borcherdt simply slows the tracks down to 16 rpm. While simple in concept, the results are stranger (and better) than you would think: gloomy sludge metal/grunge/post-punk versions of new wave and power pop hits of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, as sung by grown human beings with the knowledge that their voices would be pitch-shifted to sound like small, anthropomorphic r ...read more
Chipmunkson16speed is the plunderphonics/novelty project of Brian Borcherdt. Taking music originally recorded by the Chipmunks, Borcherdt simply slows the tracks down to 16 rpm. While simple in concept, the results are stranger (and better) than you would think: gloomy sludge metal/grunge/post-punk versions of new wave and power pop hits of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, as sung by grown human beings with the knowledge that their voices would be pitch-shifted to sound like small, anthropomorphic rodents. There is something oddly entrancing about hearing the vocals at "normal" speed paired with the slowed instrumentals.
In one point of view, it is merely a decently-executed, if a bit shallow, joke. After all, music manipulation in the 21st century has provided both novices and professionals the tools to experiment with pre-recorded audio to create new works.
Alternatively, chipmunkson16speed could be seen as commentary on the death of punk rock in the late-1970s, making way for the glitz of early-80s new wave and synthpop, with Alvin and the Chipmunks being the final death knell; the loss of innocence in the pursuit of fleeting capital gains, quick commodification, and cheapening of underground music. In a way, chipmunkson16speed undoes what Ross Bagdasarian originally set out to do with the Chipmunks: to profit off of what could reductively be described as the most basic of tape manipulations.
Whichever view one takes when listening to chipmunkson16speed, there is an undeniable charm and musicianship to the songs. It serves as a reminder that behind the furry, marketable faces of the Chipmunks, there was a person (or persons) making the machine run. When your initial reaction fades, you're left with the music. The fact that there was anything salvageable in a prepackaged, corporate product like Alvin and the Chipmunks is amusing. The fact that it manages to be good music is a true, honest-to-god miracle. « hide |
Similar Bands: Holy Fuck, Brian Borcherdt, Stasis, Horn Of The Rhino, Wand Contributors: SandwichBubble, owen, TheSonomaDude, Supercoolguy64,
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