By Keith Walsh
Here’s an October Surprise that’s a refreshing break from the annoying circus that the American political scene has become recently. Gilles Snowcat reveals more of his gonzo past in a triplet of lo-fi MP3 releases from the early to mid-90s, including Awaken’s “Numb,” “Blurp,” and the Gilles Snowcat solo tape “Zéro Sur Dix : Encore Raté.” Gilles calls them “something between official albums and demo tapes.” Fans of Awaken and of avant-garde pop, art rock oldies and lo-fi electronica might want to check them out.
“It was rather MacGyverish, to put all those instruments into a basic analog 4 tracks,” Gilles recalls. “I think it was the average Tascam, but I’m not even sure. Then the masters were done on DAT, if anyone remembers DAT now. There was also the mighty ATARI and some synths, including a wonderful hybrid monster by Korg, the DSS-1. Some booze to do the vocals, but since then I changed the brand of my whiskey and the results are slightly better.” (Note: these new releases are taken from cassettes, as the masters have since been misplaced).
“What sets them apart is a growing freedom, in terms of interaction with musicians,” Gilles explains. “Actually I upgraded my status: on 1993’s ‘Numb’ I was a leader, and on 1995’s ‘Blurp’ I had reached the level of dictator.
Vintage synths and a variety of other instruments interplay, documenting late nights that became early morning episodes, along with inebriated vocals and that unique Snowcat perspective. It doesn’t get any more authentic than this.
Apparently the tapes, considered sequentially, tell a story of the rise to power of the curious, rockin’ creature known as Gilles Snowcat. “What sets them apart is a growing freedom, in terms of interaction with musicians,” Gilles explains. “Actually I upgraded my status: on 1993’s Numb I was a leader, and on 1995’s Blurp I had reached the level of dictator.”
Missing from the set is 1993’s “Phase 2: Scrappy”, slated to be digitized soon (it came out between “Numb” and. “Zéro Sur Dix”). Still, there’s a lot here for Snowcat fans. Unrestrained and uncensored, this triplet of pure pop-punk-psychedelic delights is available exclusively to members of Gilles Snowcat’s Secret Club (it’s free to join). Click on the link below to find out more.
Gilles Snowcat Secret Club Exclusive: Re-released Awaken Relics
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