Sleestakk’s Soothing Sorrow & Soap (The Mix-Off W/O) Aug 24 '01    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet The Bottom Line Love, loss, cybersex, and stalking. A fabulous mix tape by Sleestakk. When Slees’, as some are known to call him, asked me to be (one) of his partners in an upcoming write-off. I was hesitant, not because it was going to be some freaky three-way, but because I had not done a mix tape in years. On top of that, I had a tiny music library, with some of the music I had to borrow for my mix. I just hope my concept was to his liking. While I was doing that, Sleestakk went ahead and mixed his. He eventually sent me something entitled “Sleestakk’s Soothing Sorrow & Soap, v.1.0”. It is a fun concept piece dealing with love, loss, cybersex, and stalking, although I hope the last two are just feverish musings on the part of Sleestakk. Overall, a cutting-edge mix that is very enjoyable, I have played this many times. The tape features a mix of euro style electronica, pop, a smattering of punk and alternative rock, plus a small metal instrumental toward the end. Not only are the pieces selected for their role in forwarding a story, as how they can contribute to the album concept, but also for their emotional quality as well, with pieces that range from happy laughter, to mournful lows. Side one, the “soap”, is a sentimental mix of songs defining the ups and downs of a relationship. Side two, “sorrow”, is the aftermath of a strained, and broken relationship. It has a more wistful and sorry feel to it. Side one . . . . . “Tank! The Power of Kung Fu Remix” - Yoko Kanno This wacky, and infectious mix of jazzy drum and bass features “spy music” – think of Peter Gunn (I don’t know what the actual theme is called) – played on cellos, snare drums, and blaring horns that at times space out and become sparse sounding. In the background, sound samples of celestial kung fu fighting, and guttural sounds of ass kicking can be heard. This is one kick-ass mix tape. “Dead Stars (version)” - Covenant “Eins, zwei, drei, vier.” This dance electronica sounds like great fun. Synthesizers that sound like a distorted, dying siren; a thumping, pulsating bass line that sounds a bit like static; plus other effects, give this euro flavored piece an outer world feel. It all harkens back to the days of German synthpop. There are lyrics about pretty models in fashion magazines, and “Dead stars still burn”. “Slushy” - Vaselines Slushy almost sounds like the early Beatles mixed in with some fuzzy garage band sound. There are harmless lyrics about a pretty girl with brown hair and green eyes. It is the sort of song a teenager would sing about, a crush they have. “Glowing me Choking you” - Last Days of April Guitar and bass that sounds full of static, and wistful vocals combine in this alternative rock song about loved ones, and fighting; played in major key. The guitars are loud and relentlessly, they are like planes on fire crashing into the sea. Relationships can be tiresome; for some, a timeout is needed. “Fast Easy Love” - Bangs A bubblegum punk song, sung by a cute girl band about fast easy love, and just doing it without a care when you have a second, or minute to spare. Like fast love, the song is quickly over at 44 seconds. “Blind” - Wolfsheim Drums, ethereal sounding keyboard, and a bit of synthesized strings help create a pop song describing what love between two people feels like. “You can feel what no one feels, you can hear what no one wants to hear. Just looking for the smile I give to you.” “Intoxica” - Centurians This song, I am reminded of “Tequilla” in the way everyone yells, “Tequilla!” after a round of sax. This song is similar; it begins with surf guitar repeating a simple melody with saxophone briefly mixed in, then laughter “Ahh hahaha!” Then it repeats again. This is the type of song to tote along to a beach party; just remember to swim with the sharks, and don’t drink and surf. “Communion” - theSTART Grungy sounding synthesizers, and vocals frankly sung by Aimee Echo shoot straight from the hip in this song about love. “If I could stay here forever, no one would ever have to know you came to take me away.” The song then transitions to alternative rock during a refrain, “I’m outta my mind, there’s no words to communicate to you.”, then back again to pop. “Timeless/The Jester’s Dance” - In Flames The pacing of this lyrical guitar instrumental sound almost like the ticking of a clock, like the pacing of time. We feel restless as we wait for something to happen, but it is merely a waiting game. Then the music flows into “The Jester’s Dance”, a Jekyll and Hyde style guitar and drum instrumental. Here, the guitar starts off a 3-chord arpeggio that reminds me of an old sega genesis racing game, but is soon overtaken by riffs of metal. The arpeggio reappears again, but the metal riffs follow quickly. “The New Zero” - Rasputina The rhyme and strict rhythm of this song, and especially the vocals, is quite hypnotic and beautiful. There are violins, and in the background, electronically filtered crashing ocean waves all lending a strange melancholic feel to this upbeat piece. As for the lyrics, I’m not sure, but the opening lyrics mention “He’s agreed, to take me, to the ice hotel, from the magazine…” I wonder if this has something to do with “pretty models in magazines” on the “Dead Stars” track heard earlier. Toward the end, the song builds in intensity with the strings plucked and sawed to drums, and Melora’s voice echoing quietly behind her. “14 Zero Zero” - Console Ahhh… human rejection, there is nothing quite like a computer to console you. Chatrooms, Epinions, it all becomes an addiction in the end. This Kraftwerk-style techno is set to a dance beat with vocals emulating the 1980’s monotone style of computer-generated voice “Take a Chance on Me” - ABBA Perhaps Sleestakk had heard about the smash hit London musical “Mamma Mia!” migrating to Broadway this October, and snuck in an ABBA track; or this has something to do with the mix tape concept, e.g., informing your love interest that in case s/he changes his/her mind, its ok to come back. ABBA sounds neat, although I never really listened to them when I was in high school, probably because I was boycotting disco at that time (misspent youth). This song has that warm fuzzy feelin’ of free love, hippies, and all that “Age of Aquarius” freakiness. The song starts a cappella with the women singing, “If you change your mind, I’m the first in line, honey I’m still free. Take a chance on me”, sing it, you know it. The men chime in with “Take a chance”, repeating over and over again. Then, whimsical sounding guitars, bass, and a sax line are added in to create this ABBA classic. “Staralfur” - Sigur Rós This dreamy piece, with a title that translates to “staring elf”, sounds like a dirge with its slowly played violins, and muffled drumming reminiscent of cannons in the background. Jónsi Birgisson, in a feminine sounding, and hauntingly beautiful voice, sings Staralfur in Icelandic. A few U2 and Beatles-like guitar riffs make their appearances a few times as part of the sampling. Side Two . . . . . “Street of Dreams” - Esquivel Remember the annoying lounge music piped into the elevator that was carrying the Blues Brothers up to the Cook County Tax Assessor’s office in the movie, the “Blues Brothers”? Well, combine that with south-of-the-border rhythms, and you get this 1960’s fantasy by Esquivel. There is piano, jazz guitar, horns, bass, bongos, and maracas. It sounds like soundtrack music, a film of intrigue involving lounge singers at the Acapulco Hilton, perhaps; and probably is. “I Live your Dream (radio edit)” - Project Pitchfork. “I live your dream” fuses happy and upbeat euro pop with cynical goth style vocals. There are synthesized spastic sounding drums, a bit of piano to signal key changes, and lethargically sung lyrics with a refrain, “I lose but win, here in my realm, like heroes in films, I live your dream.” “Spend a Night in the Box” - Reverend Horton Heat. All right, everybody to the hop sock. This 1960’s rock-and-roll party song is about suffering the consequences when your girl is mad at you. The catchy and danceable tune -- for those old enough to remember -- remind us of the days where poodle skirts, soda fountains, and roller rinks were king. “Nicholas Prefers Dinosaurs” - Ghosts and Vodka. One can hear the guitarist slip and slide up and down the fret board on this lovely amplified acoustical guitar piece. The music feels quite sad and melancholic, yet there is optimism in there. It is like a rainy summer’s day when you watch the rain falling, first in droplets, then a downpour. You feel a bit bummed at first, but mindful, and glad of the fact that there is some cooler weather ahead so not all is lost. The music is also like losing a love interest, and you feel bummed, yet there is hope at redemption when you get back together again. “Image” - Theatre of Tragedy. This punk style pop song is music to stalk by. It has a bass line that sounds like static; sparse sounding vocals; and eerie synthesizer reminiscent of racing heartbeats. Vocals sing “The call is mine, I’m gonna get you up, I’m wanna get on top.” “Chloroform the One you Love” - Flickerstick I’m sure everyone has been rejected at least once or twice. Sometimes obsession follows rejection. Now there is a solution, “Chloroform the one, the one that you love.” Sung and played like Green Day. “Thirteen” - Johnny Cash Well, when your love interest turns evil, that is definitely not a good sign. This song is dedicated to the one who hates you. Played in minor key on acoustic guitar. The lyrics are about a mysterious drifter who wanders into town, nameless except for the number “13” tattooed on his neck. Bad luck and trouble soon follow. Someone you recognize, perhaps? “Get It Faster” - Jimmy Eat World After fighting with your love interest, its time for a time-out. This song, featuring fuzzy, almost pulsating, pop guitars, is about that scenario. ”I don't care what you do, I'm getting out, no, nothing ever shames me.” “Kathy’s Song (single version)” - Apoptygma Berzerk Computer love reappears. This piece of electronica starts with pseudo computer voice, and atmospheric synthesizer; then gets into the thick of it, with a fast, pulsating bass line, tinny sounding synthesizers, and spacey, almost psychedelic (human) vocals. I felt that this song would be a bit more enjoyable if the drum samples were either modified, or removed altogether. “Wondering/Big Sur Moon” - Buckethead This sleepy-sounding ambient piece features guitar overlaid with muffled saxophone-like accompaniment. I suppose the intent was to portray what pleasant dreams sound like, but it is not terribly imaginative. The guitar part reminds me of, rather it sounds like the melancholic “Nicholas Prefers Dinosaurs” by Ghosts and Vodka heard earlier in the mix. “Wondering” follows quickly with “Big Sur Moon”, a somewhat ambient solo guitar arpeggio that sounds like scales being played up-and-down the fret board. The piece has a mysterious, almost ethereal sound thanks to the use of electronic delays and echoes. “The Ascent of Stan” - Ben Folds This wonderful little song features a catchy bluegrass melody, played on piano, at its core. Funky sounding guitar -- almost like the bass line of John Williams’ “Cantina Band” in Star Wars -- are mixed in with drums; and on occasion, some strings of banjo can be heard. All instruments played by Ben Folds. The song is catchy with lyrics criticizing hippies on ascending the very same institutions they once wanted to topple, although in this mix tape concept, it (music) feels satisfying, as if one (and one’s relationship) is being redeemed. “The ascent of Stan, textbook hippie man. Get rest while you can”. “2000 Man” - Rolling Stones The signature jangling riffs of the Stones, and young Mick Jagger’s voice opens up “2000 Man”. A song composed in 1967 with nonsensical lyrics about modern man, and this “prophetic” line, “Having an affair with a random computer.” “The Race” - Gwen Mars Another alternative rock/pop song with icy sounding lead guitar, and drawn out, almost psychedelically sung lyrics. “Thanks for the Ride” - Halfcocked The mix ends with this punk rock style song supposedly about vibrators, “Thank you for the motion and style, Thank you for my very first smile, Thank you for the gleam in my eye.”, but I would rather think of the lyrics (composed and nicely sung by Sarah Reitkopp) in another way. Of the how this mix couldn’t have ended any better. Indeed, Thank you Sleestakk. Track Listing Side One: 01. Yoko Kanno - "Tank! The Power of Kung Fu Remix" 02. Covenant - "Dead Stars (version)" 03. The Vaselines - "Slushy" 04. Last Days Of April - "Glowing Me Choking You" 05. Bangs - "Fast Easy Love" 06. Wolfsheim - "Blind" 07. Centurians - "Intoxica" 08. theSTART - "Communion" 09. In Flames - "Timeless/The Jester's Dance" 10. Rasputina - "The New Zero" 11. Console - "14 Zero Zero" 12. ABBA - "Take A Chance" 13. Sigur Rós - "Staralfur" Side Two 01. Esquivel - "Street of Dreams" 02. Project Pitchfork - "I Live Your Dream (radio edit)" 03. Reverend Horton Heat - "Spend A Night In The Box" 04. Ghosts and Vodka - "Nicholas Prefers Dinosaurs" 05. Theatre of Tragedy - "Image" 06. Flickerstick - "Chloroform The One You Love" 07. Johnny Cash - "Thirteen" 08. Jimmy Eat World - "Get It Faster" 09. Apoptygma Berzerk - "Kathy's Song (single version)" 10. Buckethead - "Wondering/Big Sur Moon" 11. Ben Folds - "The Ascent of Stan" 12. Rolling Stones - "2000 Man" 13. Gwen Mars - "The Race" 14. Halfcocked - "Thanks For The Ride" The Mix-Off Write-Off, courtesy of Officer. The idea was to have him gather what he considered some of his favorite writers, and have them pair off for the write-off. There are many fine mix tapes and contributors here, please check them all out, and send them your love. centavo ~ Sordid-1 Christoff ~ Eurythmic difrentisgood ~ repulsemonkey emptywishes ~ jkkelley ezreka ~ jesus_sandals fmhypo ~ Lime LessThanNick1 ~ Freak369 lukasneville ~ tweeling megugrrrl ~ Fez_monkey monssfisch ~ kuuleimomi Officer (host) ~ omophagia outofstep ~ vainglory PezKing ~ jennifernorth phixed ~ AsiaBrew sleestakk ~ soothsayer             ~ Daniel_rf sxejustin ~ jamessqueaky

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