Should-be classic debut from Solex, a.k.a. Amsterdam-based artist Elisabeth Esselink. Built on off-kilter drum loops; Esselink's cooing, at times kinda punk vocals; and heaps of dusty, fragmented samples, Solex vs. The Hitmeister is trip-hop by default, but is without a doubt its own strange, whimsical, woozy scene. One of those records that never failed to make me feel extremely hip when I'd put it on while getting stoned with friends in high school, even though none of my friends in high school really liked shit like this. And if you're one of the friends in question (I know at least one of you comes 'round here from time to time): don't lie, you know you only listened to anarcho-punk, NIN, and Weezer.
Track listing:
1. One Louder Solex
2. Solex Feels Lucky
3. Solex in a Slipshod Style
4. Waking Up with Solex
5. Solex's Snag
6. Rolex by Solex
7. There's a Rolex on the Run
8. Solex All Licketysplit
9. Solex for a While
10. Some Solex
11. When Solex Just Stood There
12. Peppy Solex
13. Solex Is Barely Dressed [bonus]
More along these lines:
Thanks man, I used to love this album, but I seem to have thrown it out.
ReplyDeleteOne Louder Solex is one of my all time favourite tunes - Top album this one!
ReplyDeleteThis and it's follow-up, "Pick Up" (which I find the superior of the two) are such great albums. I was interning at Matador when it was being released and they def were banking on her being an Indie darling that Fall.
ReplyDeletePick Up is so good! I had thought about posting that instead, but I honestly can't decide which album I like more, and when that's the case, I always default to the earlier one.
DeleteI was listening to The Laughing Stock of Indie Rock as I was surfing the web & checked out what you had to offer today. Quantum entanglement & a great choice. Thanks
ReplyDeletesounds dope, thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteYeah, Pick Up was excellent! It was a shame that more people didn't get into their stuff, which was odd cos everytime I showed this album to someone they got right into it! Matador's 10th anniversary comp is actually where I first heard her, and I went straight out and got her album and a bunch of others too, especially Cornelius' Fantasma - that record was INCREDIBLE. I was so obsessed with it.
ReplyDeleteFantasma is one of my all-time favorite albums. First time I heard it, I was like 17-18 taking gravity bong hits at the apartment of a couple I had just met, and it blew my mind, but I either never asked what it was or forgot. Years later, I heard "Count Five or Six" playing at a record store and immediately recognized it, and bought it immediately. Absolutely love Sensuous as well.
DeleteSensuous was a gorgeous lil record! I got to see him play for free on that tour too, which was wicked. Half the set was stuff from Sensuous, and the rest was mostly Fantasma stuff and a few things from Point. You could've seen my shit eating grin from space, swear to God ha ha
DeleteAlways thought she was dull. But I did shop at the little CD store she used to have back in the day.
ReplyDelete