Wagon Christ, Tally Ho! (Astralwerks)

Posted December 31st, 1998 by admin

Wagon Christ
Tally Ho!
Astralwerks
By: Eric G.

This is Luke Vibert's third effort under the Robert Crumb inspired moniker Wagon Christ, and it explores an unpretentious blend of laid back dancefloor beats and samplings. His other pseudonym, Plug, which just got signed to Trent Reznor's Nothing label, presents an almost purist breed of drum n' bass. He also has a solo album on James Lavelle's Mo' Wax label, which focuses on yet another strain of electronic music that is a bit gloomier than his kitsch-y Wagon Christ efforts. Vibert admitted recently that he was influenced to sound a particular way for his Mo' Wax album to fit in with the Mo' Wax sound- a problem that doesn't haunt him in any way with Wagon Christ.

Tally Ho! requires repeated listenings to reap all the benefits of its multi-textured collage of sound. Vibert creates a framework of fretless bass and swaggering blips and beats. He then piles on orchestral sounding snippets with loungy piano and occasional vocal samples. The overall effect is lighthearted, almost like we are privy to an inside joke, but there are dark elements that surface as in "Crazy Disco Party." Vibert plants tongue firmly in cheek in tracks like "Juicy Luke Vibert" and "My Organ In Your Face" to confront all of the self-indulgent purveyors of electronic music. This schizophrenic atmosphere lends itself well to all of Vibert's musical masks.

Tags: review