RLF - 'Once Upon A Time' (Rex)
3/5
By: Thomas Hannan
The 'Once Upon A Time EP' finds the mastermind behind RLF, namely one Ralph Cumbers, apparently in an accessible mood; gee, God help us when he decides to really go crazy. As it is, this is a debut release utterly removed from normality and any potential commercial appeal - and one that, at times, makes you feel as if someone is drumming using you as the sticks... Thus, yes, this is a head-trip, alright. Thankfully, it's one that you're legally allowed to enjoy, even if you won't know why you're finding it quite so entertaining.
What is there here to latch on to? Perhaps some kind of riff, the opportunity for a dance, or a chorus of sorts? Sorry sunshine, none of that here - but listen to the eccentrically loveable opener 'Bass Too Rude' and tell us it doesn't rock; and, what with titles such as 'The Bassline That Destroyed the World', it's clear from one peek at the sleeve that this ain't any folk record. Indeed, heavy emphasis is instead placed on getting that bass sound just about perfect - one so big that it forces your head to expand with every pounding note.
Markedly, too, Mr Cumbers is a man who professes to find a spot between Steve Albini and Andrew Weatherall, a place you wouldn't have thought existed until the arrival of RLF; closer 'We Need an Enemy' illustrates his claim perfectly, employing normal enough dance-tinged ambience but with a rhythm track that sounds scarily like it's trying to slash the song in half.
Its love affair with all things barmy ensures that whilst 'Once Upon A Time' won't get an average dancefloor full of punters agreeably throwing shapes, it's a safe bet it'll send a few eyebrows in the right direction. And like all the best rock and roll of whatever genre, there's a certain pleasure in feeling as if what you've just listened to shouldn't have ever been let out of whatever asylum it came from. Admittedly, RLF should still be locked up, but the escape of such wonderfully twisted compositions can only serve to benefit society in the long-run. We hope.
Artists in this article: RLF
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