New Music From FR333, PC Worship
FR333
TH3 BODY
(fr333.bandcamp.com)
The Oakland, Calif. hip-hop duo FR333—comprised of rapper MADlines (Maddy Clifford) and producer/musician XOA (Alexandra Howard)—has two self-coined names for the music it makes.
The first is “Goddess Trap,” acknowledging the influence of Southern rap and its roots in strife and hustle, but instead of macho larger-than-life posturing, the feminine flip-side opts for a more seductive take, favoring a magical and mythical perception to bring listeners out of the ordinary world.
The second name—“Hydra Hip-Hop”—directly expounds on the mythical notion by evoking the nine-headed serpent from Greek mythology, symbolizing the multiple sonic approaches of FR333.
In May, FR333 unleashed the four-song EP TH3 MIND, an entrancing and promising release that slithered with assurance on tracks like “Abstrakt,” with mysterious, echoing loops weaving between MADlines’ wordplay, and “The Pacific,” enhanced with tropical beats and vibes.
While TH3 MIND delved into the feminine psyche, the new release TH3 BODY follows it, going down that road with a more physically oriented approach, tackling threatening reactions to a woman’s appearance and grappling with self-doubt and confidence.
TH3 BODY mirrors TH3 MIND with a similar 4-song format, and like its predecessor, TH3 BODY begins with a minute-long intro poem; here, a challenge is set up that is surely familiar to any woman attempting to describe the mental weight of harassment: “How could she explain?”
It’s followed by “Peaches” which pays tribute to the infamous track “F--- the Pain Away” by Peaches with a deep swagger, inducing head-nods, and a vocal delivery that alternates between percussive syllables and sultry soul singing.
The smooth atmosphere and interrupting beats of “Gut Feeling” tackles the complexity of trauma by bringing it to the surface and reminding women to not forget their physical instincts when confronted; guest rapper RyanNicole punches her lines through, practically spitting them out.
The EP ends with “I Gave You Life,” featuring guest vocalist Honey Gold Jasmine, balancing its aural silkiness with a serious, charged attitude, intended as both a warning message to players and as a tribute to motherhood, topping off a psychologically complex and striking release of modern feminine mythology mixed with harsh realities.
PC Worship
Future Phase
(Northern Spy)
The new album Future Phase from the Brooklyn outfit PC Worship is a strange and intense trip, but it’s one that’s actually entertaining and not oppressive or punishing to the point of being a turn-off; perhaps it’s like a thrilling amusement park ride that takes you on a joyride through a self-consciously artificial depiction of Hades.
A few key points of comparison come to mind when listening to Future Phase, such as the early primitive pummeling of Swans and various German bands from the ‘70s such as NEU! and Faust.
The nine-minute opening number “Tides II” is a compellingly twisty initiation, misleadingly going from some twangy, bluesy flourishes to a Swans-inspired death march, with some chaotic clashes, evoking the fiery, hammering live version (not the relatively sedate studio version) of Outside the Dream Syndicate by Tony Conrad and Faust.
The track is full of savory surprises, serving up its odd sequence with gliding, demented electric guitar lines, wordless vocals and tinny, wandering string plucks.
Now, if you’re going to rip something off, rip it off well, and “Shell Shower” is a pretty decent rip-off of NEU! at its most propulsive (think “Hero” from NEU! ‘75) with a killer bass vamp and an electric guitar throwing fuel onto the flames.
It’s followed by “Former Feedback,” a two-minute slice of squealing feedback and guitar-crunch drones—most people will find this unlistenable, but those who aren’t noise-averse may actually find some nourishing and harmonious moments within.
The title track goes back to Swans-ish poundings among a vague psychedelic air and some duo-tone sing-speak vocals; this seems to be one of the recurring vibes on Future Phase, with the two-part track “C. Lawless / Melted Life, Long Decay” settling into a sauntering psych-rock/Swans amalgam after a few minutes of meandering, phantom radio tones and flabby explosions.
Justin Frye is the primary creative force behind PC Worship, having written and recorded everything on Future Phase with a few performance contributions from Jess Paps and Mike Etten, and the album is available as a digital download or on cassette as part of a special box set edition with issue 60 of the publication Monster Children.
Most of Future Phase is at least slightly reminiscent of something else, but its twists and turns are devious and stimulating, with an assured yet not predictable delivery.