One of a pair of compilations from Shanshui records, Green Pepper & Cacti collects four songs each from Beijing artists Panda Twin and Dead J (listed as Dead K on the sleeve), along with four from Japan's Bokusatsu Shoujo Koubou.
I've been waiting for a follow-up to Panda Twin's full length on Sub Jam, The Man Who Hated the Shadow. That album's digital-hardcore noise blasts and dark synths were enjoyable, but they didn't hold a candle to the fun, silly, make-you-bounce-up-and-down-while-destroying-your-eardrums assault of their live shows. These four short tracks, totaling less than ten minutes, are just a taste, unfortunately — but they are an excellent glimpse. "Ara (CDR Remix)" starts off with distorted synthesized horns, just enough to unsettle you and leave you unprepared for the avalanche of drum breaks that soon follow. The beats are joined by playful melodies and clipped voice samples. The effect is not unlike a cross between Kid606 and Nobukazu Takemura. "One" is the highlight of this section; this is music to turn up extremely loud, dance around your apartment with your arms flailing, and generally confuse your neighbors.
Dead J/K is one half of Panda Twin, along with Sulumi. Under this moniker he's made some of the most interesting contributions to the previous compilations Landscape, Yellow Peril, and last fall's Charming Playlist. Less melodic than the Panda Twin tracks, these four tracks center around stuttered beats. The Panda Twin connection is evident here, as "3333 3" has a simple synth line repeated throughout. J doesn't take it to the extremes that Panda Twin does, though, even turns out the melancholy, downbeat "4444 4."
Winding up the CD is Bokusatsu Shouju Koubou, who delivers four dark drill&bass tracks. Parts of "Strike" sound like they were recorded in a airplane hangar; the synths seem to hang in the air for eternity, the drums seem to come echoed from every direction. I swear I heard the sound of birds before all the pieces came crashing back together. Koubou has also read Kid606's playbook, but his sense of dynamics is well developed, and the drum barrages generally taper off before they envelope the song. "Darkhorse" doesn't fare as well as the others; the main melody is a bit of a cliche, and "Sleipnir" almost seems like an afterthought.
You don't need to take my word for it, though: Shanshui has three mp3s available, one for each of the artists' sets.
Dine Together with 7 People, the accompanying compilation, is also quite good. Expect a review of that soon.
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