Cassette Review // Hoggle / Ludo "A Great Beast Becomes A Great Friend" (Hair On My Food Tapes & Records)

$15 //
Edition of 25 //
https://haironmyfoodtapes.bandcamp.com/album/homf045-a-great-beast-becomes-a-great-friend //

Hoggle begins with an audio clip that says "Well, I'm not afraid of you.  Things aren't always what they seem" and then it bursts into this loud distorted static drone.    It somehow seems as if it dropped an octave at one point.    There are slight variations in this wind, but not too many.    Perhaps a slight flicker of change, but yes, this is that noisy static drone you always hear about. 

Another audio clip comes out where it sounds like cartoon characters fighting each other- one called the other a hippie- and then we're into a different kind of windstorm now.    At times it can feel as if it is changing slightly, like running water somehow.    It also can just really feel like you're drowning in it.    Then it just kind of cuts off and that ends Side A on the Hoggle portion of this double cassette.

I flip to the next side now which instead of just "Hoggle" says "Hoggle + Ludo" and there are some whimpers or something before the static distortion just blasts on through again.    It does appear though- according to the Bandcamp site- that the first side was only Hoggle and this is a collaboration between Hoggle and Ludo.    This is a lot of static drone.    This is the type of thing I'd listen to at work and people would ask me what I was listening to, take my earbuds and go "What the hell?"

At some point the sound seems to be fading, like a dimming flame.   Fighting sounds come in the form of an audio clip- somewhat like what divided the songs on Side A- and it then dives right back into the distorted chaos.   This windy continues for quite some time here on what is the second song of the second side of the first cassette.    Whenever you listen to this type of noise for such a long time- especially with earbuds in- and then try to adjust back to normal sound it's always so strange. 

"Is that anyway to treat someone who is trying to help you?" and then we go into the crackling static of the first side of the second cassette, which is Ludo + Hoggle.    This could also be Side C I suppose.    It seems to grow more intense now, like the wind is picking up.    Lately, at work, I've been thinking about bringing in my Walkman to listen to this cassette because I really just want to drown out all of the other stupid sounds around me.   As it just kind of drones on with this steady crackle it's much better than hearing my co-workers.

The crackling is getting lighter now, like it is fading.   Another audio clip from the same film as the first one comes on and there is a slow crackle starting.     It comes to an end without really fading out and just kind of stopping to complete Side C.

All of these audio clips are from "Labyrinth" if you couldn't tell.   On Side D- which is only Ludo- the distorted static comes through in waves, expanding and contracting.   It begins to swirl around like a tornado as well.   It can sound like an engine revving up and then it turns into this weaving of fibers in the distortion. 

After another audio clip an explosion kicks in and we're just into pure destruction and end of the world type of sounds now.    As it's chugging along it just feels like such a force.    On some levels it can feel like an airplane taking off.    An audio clip about not knowing how to get to the castle ends this all and as much as this makes me want to watch "Labyrinth" again it's been longer since I've seen "The Dark Crystal" and that's on Netflix now so off I go.