The Birth of Chuggatron

Chuggatron.  Inspired by Alexis Jordan and the fact that "Happiness" and "Good Girl" have the driving force, the forward momentum of trains, the relentless pursuit of whatever is up-ahead.

Chugg-chugg-chugg-chugg chugg-chugg-chugga-chugg

This is kind of a proof of concept video

Trout

The guy in this Digitalism video -



has the same mouth as the guy from Glee

Never thought I'd see two such...
(good video/tune btw)

The Last Gang in Town

I was prepared to hate the Tyler the Creator album, Goblin, after the first listen, and conceived a review based on that listen. Then I went back to it a second time, to listen more closely, ready to write the review, and began noticing a depth I hadn’t seen the first time, or maybe not a depth, just that the trend I’d isolated at first didn’t run as deep as I’d first thought, and that even in the most crass bits of the album there was always an intelligence at work.

It’s maybe where the Eminem comparisons come in; that sometimes Eminem can just write silly tracks, celeb satires and the like, yet there’s an intelligence at work throughout which sets him apart from just another comedy rapper, or, in Tyler’s case, from the way he seems to perceives “Horrorcore.” On “Radical” for instance where the “Kill people, burn shit, fuck school,” refrain is to the fore, it is in a context which is revealed later in the track: “Fuck your tradition.” The “fuck school” thing becomes less nihilistic and more, if you like, un-constructive criticism.

“Fuck your tradition” is also directed at hip-hop and established rappers, continuing from the criticisms on the first album of “40 year old rappers talking about Gucci...” Here, on his first “established,” or “entering-the-mainstream” album, Tyler still remains true, refusing the easy lure of getting established, famous guest rappers, instead opting for the rest of the Odd Future when a different voice is needed. Going against the cosy, incestuous, quid pro quo nature of modern hip-hop - not that I’m calling for full-scale serious “beef” between rappers, but a bit of healthy rivalry rather than everyone guesting on everyone else’s album making every rap album sound the same, rappers doing anyone’s songs if the price is right - fuck that tradition - (note a tweet he sent about other rappers going in over “Yonkers”.) An identity at odds with the mainstream, a novelty in modern hip-hop.

(Oddly it is this “Kill people, burn shit, fuck school” which the Pitchfork review picks up -

the "kill people, burn shit, fuck school" refrain of "Radicals"-- is particularly cringe-worthy; stock phrases shouted with no larger purpose

rather than say, just off the top of my head, the “Bitch suck dick” song.)

This refusal of hip-hop’s cosiness adds to the insular feeling of the album. It is an album which is not always easy going, claustrophic in places, perhaps even overlong, both as a whole, and some individual tracks outstay their welcome, but think there is a sense that it is meant to be hard work, it’s not meant to be easy listening - it could be a challenge to fans, “will you still love me after this.” It’s a progression from Bastard, rather than a departure, but a progression into a darker place, sonically and emotionally. So the insularity, the Odd Future-against-the-world vibe questioned as Tyler shoots the others late in the album, continuing the feeling through the album of Tyler being uncomfortable with everyone.

Here’s where the accusations of misogyny and homophobia perhaps go astray. It’s like the Courtney Love quote about Steve Albini when asked if he was a misogynist, “he hates everyone equally.” There is some misogynistic and homophobic lyrics on the album (some is quite the understatement...) but we also have mentions of nazis, criticisms of white kids - it’s a scattergun approach to offending people. Given his nods to the Sex Pistols and, in particular, Sid Vicious, this is quite the obvious tactic. He’s trying to offend. His misogyny is a part of this. I think there’s also a sense of a teenager’s problematic relations with women and sexuality coming out in the form of misogynistic fantasy, which is recognised on the album - one of the striking aspects of the album is the self-awareness - on the track “Her” where he is rejected by a girl, his desire for intimacy (and not just sexually, emotional as well) expressed and then thwarted, he then suggests he could wallow in self-pity and stay in his room, or, he could make stuff up. Elsewhere he says “When life gives you lemons/ throw them at pedestrians.” And that’s what happens on the album, misogynistic fantasy rather than teenage self-pity. Is that excusing it? Probably...

Yet, as I say, there’s a questioning of all the positions taken already contained within the album. It strikes me that there’s two types of distance that Tyler takes to the content of the album, on the one hand, there’s a questioning of everything, an awareness of his position, his fantasies as lyrics and his position as “celebrity” and an awkward teenager etc., a continual self-questioning. This questioning is represented throughout the album as talking to his analyst, and at the end it is revealed that the analyst is just another voice in Tyler’s head, it is a self-questioning of every act. Interestingly the analyst is equated with “Tron-cat,” the violent voice in his head - if we view this as the two extremes, the cartoon devil on one shoulder, angel on the other, we see that there’s no moral voice here, Tron-Cat takes the role of the devil, but the analyst simply listens, tries to understand, he is the friend, rather than an authority moral figure.

Then, on the other there’s a certain distance sometimes expressed towards the contents of the album - for instance the disclaimer at the start of “Radicals,” “it’s fiction,” “don’t do anything I say on this song. ” It is this second distance that put me off the album in the first place. I would like an artist to take responsibility for his work. There’s a similar thing with Eminem, disclaimers littering his albums (especially early ones), but, and I’m saying this from memory, he always undercuts them, a layering of jokes meaning you’re not sure whether to take it seriously or not. This distance is a problem because it means that the offensiveness losses context, and becomes nothing but casual misogyny or homophobia. The disowning of the offensiveness makes the misogyny and homophobia somehow less acceptable, as if there’s no thought gone into it, no artistic context, no offensiveness as weapon for dealing with life, just dumb, thoughtless bigotry. However, on further listens I think this aspect of the album is undecut, it’s not as prevalent as I thought on first listen, but also, the sheer volume of misogyny, homophobia and general offensiveness makes it impossible to not take it seriously.

It is only the element of fantasy that prevents the worst excesses of the album being what the critics say they are. The fantasy connects the excesses with growing up, with rage, frustration, killing the past etc.. Remove that and you’re just left with casual songs about killing women. 

The point Lacan makes about Choang-tsu and the butterfly is relevant here:

"In fact, it is when he was the butterfly that he [Choang-tsu] apprehended one of the roots of his identity- that he was, and is, in his essence, that butterfly who paints himself with his own colours- and it is because of this that, in the last resort, he is Choang-tsu.

This is proved by the fact that, when he is the butterfly, the idea does not occur to him to wonder whether, when he is Choang-tsu awake, he is not the butterfly that he is dreaming of being. This is because, when dreaming of being the butterfly, he will no doubt have to bear witness later that he represented himself as a butterfly. But this does not mean that he is captivated by the butterfly- he is a captive butterfly, but captured by nothing, for, in the dream, he is a butterfly for nobody. It is when he is awake that he is Choang-tsu for others, and is caught in their butterfly net."

This is the aspect of fantasy which must be borne in mind throughout the album. This is why the disowning of the fantasy as “just a joke” is wrong, the fantasy is Tyler, it makes him what he is. He is most Tyler when he is fantasising. And it is a fantasy. He says at the start he’s neither a rapist or a role model. It is his inner fantasy (and here we have to remember that fantasy is not necessarily a desire to carry out an act, indeed, Lacan points out that nothing is more frightening than coming face to face with one’s fantasy in real life).

We can see on the album the attempt by Tyler, the fleshing out of,

he is a captive butterfly, but captured by nothing, for, in the dream, he is a butterfly for nobody. It is when he is awake that he is Choang-tsu for others, and is caught in their butterfly net

Taking on the artwork, the music, the videos, the DIY vibe, it’s all trying to free himself from shackles, the shackles and pressure of being-for-others. Is the album always successful? No. But better to try than conform. What makes Tyler interesting is the difference, the not going down Hip-hop’s tried and tested routes, forging it for, and by, himself.

And if the difference between dreaming of being a butterfly and the violent fantasies of Goblin are noted, then I cite my favourite line on the album:

“ I'm a fucking Unicorn...”