Kittens Ripped My Flesh Reviews

Kittens Ripped My Flesh is a 12" EP release from Oxygen Music Works (OMW EP 05), featuring the following tracks:

CMJ

And now the most exciting episode in the electro revival: the Bass Kittens four-to-the-floor, electro-charged four-tracker that will force you to reconsider New York as a site for electronic experimentation. I can't tell you how welcome this record has been. Paraphrasing a mid-70's Frank Zappa LP title, Weasels Ripped My Flesh, this is a humid, pummelling exercise. The first side's "Rat Patrol" and "Take It To The Street" recall the flattening 808 histrionics of the Jonzun Crew and Planet Patrol. The bass sounds are set to new depths of floor-quaking potential, the sampled scratches emerge between the bass bounces, and the energy levels are ridiculous. The track moves with the momentum of the mid-80's video game Defender, with darting laser sounds and mock explosions. We really need more records like this, where the producer's restraint just goes to the dogs and everyone has a great time. The flip's "Big Hair Is Still Alive In Small Towns" and "Jack The Biscuit" are acid inflected groovers with an equally satisfying sense of humor. -- Tim Haslett

Mixmag

Busy acid and electro go hand in hand with funky guitar riffs; enough to make 007 change his tuxedo. Pussy rip it up! -- Eastern Bloc

IDM

I've had this on promo tape for what seems like an eternity, and I know Jon has had it even longer, nonetheless, this freshly pressed 4 tracker comes out sounding ALL brand new. The Flesh EP is a wake up call for the West Coast Electro set. "Heeeeeere's Jonny!" I like to think of it as a Drukman sampler of sorts. One jam of the down tempo [Big Hair] sort and one for the house man crew [The Biscuit]. My personal preference is of course for the dead on funky stuff on the flip. (Which is doubly represented here on the 'lowfrequency' side.)

The buzz cut here (read: the one EVERYBODY is playing) is Rat Patrol. Seated inside the 12 inch armor of a RUN DMC 'runs house' drum loop, our boy Jon, lobs out star bursts of acid and J. Saul certified vocal blasts. "Think About It". When we reach a mid track 'river', RATTY dunks into the drink with a thrust on the organ driven house kick combo engines. We cruise on downstream like a twitch loop on acid. I've made this track best friends with both the deadly serious maurizio mix 'Domina' and the lighthearted Bonesbreaks. It's no wonder Rat Patrol has such crossover potential, in my eyes an IDM quality.

Alas, the cut that really sucks down my Stanton is the hyper on 'Taking it to the streets.' Jump-started by wickid ripping electro and bumpy funk bass kicks, T.T.T.S. is given substance from a jangley guitar loop unquestionably attesting to the west coast identity of The Clutterbox. The mid track 'San Frantransforming' confirms the location, but a Bizzy Beastie breakdown and BDP brass hits suggest a bit of Yankee ingenuity. Top off the breakdowns with Jon's huge respect for the likes of Meat Beat and Mr. LeBlanc in the manifestation of thundering power toms.

Expect to hear plenty of true groove acid funk in the future from this West Coast All Star. Much to the reviewers pleasure, the artist has blessed me with a promo tape of the new litter: "The Feline Strikes Back". Which is an even stronger representation of the future sounds of San Francisco. -- Teep (aran@mit.edu)