Stuntman 5
Melted Fake Plastic
/collectif effervescence; 2005/

 

 

 



www.stuntman5.com
www.collectif-effervescence.fr.st

Last time I listened to Stuntman 5 i hated it. I remembered it as purposeless electronica with harsh beats and nothing else. The problem with electronic releases, and the main problem of the electronica scene in France or Europe is that it desperately lacks focus. Most of the time you feel like you're listening to some guy doing some laptop impro in his bedroom. It's all about showing off. It used to be garage's purpose.

This record really surprised me. It's not electronica in the commonly acknoledged term. not anymore. Most of the songs on Melted Fake Plastic were written bu Stntman 5 & the Patriotic Sunday, who just released a folk album with a naked girl on the cover. The result just works. Using his electronica moves as pillars to hold the songs as high as possible. There's also a huge shoegazing influence, you can hear Kevin Shields' guitar whales singing quite often, and there are walls of guitars, which are always nice.

It's reminiscent of less club-friendly Chemical Brothers and of tougher Morr artists Guitar and Manual. The record is not perfect, missteps are almost unavoidable in these projects, and the hip-hop attempts "Exit Stencil Shift" doesn't really work, mostly because Moot and Lisp are not Themselves, no matter how hard they try. Some of this record's pieces are most impressive than others but then again, this is probably the most ambitious indie release to emerge from France in a long time.

-Barbara H

/apr 15th 2005/