Cassette Review // Q//Q "cooper do-nuts and the city of night" (OTA)

 

https://ostresamigos.bandcamp.com/album/cooper-do-nuts-and-the-city-of-night

The music of Q//Q has a strong electronics side to it but with the help of the synth influence it can take on multiple forms throughout this cassette.   At first, there is a track which sounds like robot electronics.   It's spoken word and there are thoughts in it about masculinity and how the government defines our gender roles.   This is true if you've ever had to file taxes and thought about how they make you declare a "head of household".  It's the same shit as when door-to-door salesmen used to ask to speak with the man of the house.

Through the spoken words and beats come big synths.  It can remind me of the desert, which can make me think of an electronic version of The Doors.  There are aliens and though it can feel like singing at times it does actually turn into singing by the end of the first side.  Laser blasts are within and the third song has these beats which remind me of either NKOTB or "Judgment Night".   Either way, it is a very distinct time of music which also happens to be on cassette as it was the time then.

Video game beeps come out like Atari and the words are still spoken.  It slows down like The X-Files but the last song on the first side is that darkwave/synthwave type of song complete with singing.   The flip side opens up with some beeps and beats and then it kicks in like a drum machine and there is singing.   Cool alien electronic beats would be a good way to describe this.  This song also is just taking us through an instrumental ride.

Mechanical percussion and spoken words bring out Transformers synth and what feels like a radio sample.  For some reason at this point in the cassette I am also reminded of the film "Sixteen Candles".   There is a very serious and specific set of synth notes now and the talking becomes almost distorted.   This carries out until the end as this cassette is mostly synth based electronics and spoken words, but it does that in such a remarkable way that it needs to be heard and embraced by all.