 Bruce Haack Here's a challenge: Explain the concept of playing "Robotron" onboard the Mars Rover to a 3-year old, then plug a 1/4" audio cord straight from their fontanelle into your iPod and record the resulting brainwave-music. You may end up with something that sounds like the music of Bruce Haack. The music resists easy description, as it is so deeply in its own world that the best you can do is give in to the buzz, and not operate any heavy machinery for the next 40 minutes. It's closest in spirit to Raymond Scott's breathtaking electronic work, but while Scott's music was vaguely aimed toward a futuristic adworld, Haack was writing for the only probable market that could truly grasp it: kids. It's a lo-fi audio dome full of hollow delay, fluctuating levels, sped-up vocals, sizzling drum machines, quick cuts, and completely 90-degree turns of thought. Electronic Record For Children has Bruce and mainstay sidekick Esther Nelson floating in a satellite above the earth, checking in with friends below and above. The theme of the record fluctuates between learning (see "Echo" and its unexpected 2-minute snippet of the 'Emperor Concerto' to explain, uh, "echo" … which all kids should understand as early as possible) and participatory fun (opening track "Sing", which starts with some of the best stoned-sounding intro babble ever). Picking out highlights proves tough, 'cause nearly every song is a highlight unto itself. One curiosity: the TV host on "First Lady" sounds scarily similar to Rupert Pupkin The King of Comedy. Haack had the rare knack, like Joe Raposo or Christopher Cerf, to write for kids without really being pedantic or insulting, and still be enjoyed by all ages. Lots of melody, lots of clapping, lots of crazy bloops and bleeps, lots of wacked-out fun. This shit is fanfriggintastic, and not just because the black & white cover drawing features afroed earth children. If only all music created its own universe like this does.
Review by Sidney Sharpe |