Fantasmical (Fm: Fantasma Remixes - Cornelius)

Member Name: nicksmartuk

Product:	Fm: Fantasma Remixes - Cornelius
Date:	03/11/01 (22 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Wowee Zowee kookiness

Disadvantages: A little intense

***So you’ve heard the re-mixes. Well what about the original? This is a review of the unmixed ‘Fantasma’ but seeing as there wasn’t a suitable place for it in the category guide, I’ve slipped it in here for you. Hope I’ve not caused too much disruption…***

There’s always been something about the far-eastern experimentalist, and one-man-band Cornelius which has unnerved me a little, although I can’t quite put my finger on what it is. For those of you who are unacquainted with the ‘Japanese Beck,’ Cornelius is to music what Tim Burton is to film. He creates works with a glossy, childlike skin, but which pose a perturbing, almost malicious underside once the sheen is scratched, leaving the listener with a similar feeling to what a sufferer of anaphylactic shock must experience after sucking the chocolate off a hazelnut Revel.

‘Mic Check’ the opening track on the album does exactly what it says on the tin, as Cornelius cough, splutters, and whistles snippets from Beethoven’s 5th into his microphone. An interesting concept, maybe, but one which doesn’t do an awful lot for the listener, except to make them aware that Cornelius is prone to the odd bit of acoustic gadgeteering. A cacophony of dissonant female voices blends perfectly into track 2 ‘The Micro Disneycal World Tour’ reminding the listener that Cornelius’ true forte is in his ear for production quality, and his ability to (re)mix music, rather than to create anything original himself. This is, after all, the same man who only a few years back re-mixed ‘Tender’ for Blur, and amongst the splendour of myriad finger bells made the impossible possible, by making Damon Albarn’s vocals sound as though they were originating from the reincarnation of Hindu god Shiva.

‘The Micro Disneycal World Tour’ is a typical example of how sinister Cornelius&
#8217; work is, as a happy chorus of ‘bom bom boms’ is repeatedly interrupted by the type of eerie sounds one would expect to hear in an Ed Wood B-movie. Naïve listeners might pass this off as the artist having a bit of a laugh, or creating this juxtaposition for a bit of fun, but the whole concept of this track equates to showing the rape scene from ‘A Clockwork Orange’ halfway through Blue Peter, which would be neither an inventive move of artistry, or amusing (or would it?).

The vivid, bright orange cover that adorns the inlay sleeve of this CD sums up that ancient far-eastern proverb better than any, er, words can (and if you *really* don’t know which saying I mean, drop me an email…) as bubular cigarette smoke, emitted from the mouth of a silhouetted Cornelius, spells out the album title. Garish and imposing, yet kooky. Tracks such as ‘Free Fall,’ ‘New Music Machine’ and ‘Count Five or Six’ all have great potential, but ultimately fail due to the fact that Cornelius feels the need to demonstrate his technical competence just a little too much, and we’re left facing an aural onslaught with more than is humanly possible to take in. Meanwhile the bizarre symphonic eclecticism found on tracks such as title number ‘Fantasma’ and ‘Chapter 8 – Seashore and Horizon’ is fascinating in the same way as being drowned by a tsunami, but these might as well be songs sung by Chris Morris’ own lame St Lazarus’ Primary School Choir for all the food for thought they inspire.

Yet for all its faults, the good points outweigh the negative on this record. ‘Magoo opening’ features quirky little snippets from ‘The Planet of the Apes’ which are funny, although you’re never quite sure why. At the same time, the incredible ‘2010’ is either a recreation of Mozart on speed, or one of those annoying d
emo tracks on tinpot Casio keyboards played at 10 times its original speed. The standout track on this record has to be ‘God Only Knows’ which builds up into a heaving oriental beast, and is the one time on the album where Cornelius combines his technical skills in the right proportion with his zany creative mind.

Hailing from the Matador label, you would be lying if you ever claimed to be disappointed with Cornelius, and this record is well worth buying, as long as you approach it with patience and an open-mind. I’ve heard snippets of Cornelius’ next album, which is out early next year, and it sounds like he’s refined his sound a good deal, so watch out for a dooyoo op on it sometime soon. Cornelius’ records are never the easiest of things to find in music stores, but if you come across it and have the cash going spare, it’s well worth investing your money in, as due to the fact that he fuses together so many musical styles, there’s something in this album for everyone’s tastes.

Summary: