Realistic, the brainchild of sound collage artist James Towning, verifies on his third album, Perpetual Memory Loss, that he is securely in the vanguard of the 21st century musical phenomenon of sample-based compositions. Perpetual Memory Loss is being released by controversial label Illegal Art, and labelmates include international sensation Girl Talk. It is clear right from the first track, though, that Realistic is no Girl Talk. Perpetual Memory Loss is not meant for the clubs; Realistic's re-conceptualization and experimentation almost seems to be more intended for meditation.
All 16 tracks are a sophisticated jumble of found sounds, recorded music and dialogue and original electronic creations, all of which he is able to use to create distinctive and dynamic soundscapes. Most of the samples are quite obscure, but that actually helps make each track original. Everything is so well blended that even recognizable samples don't stand out until after repeated listening - then hints of Bob Marley's "Jamming" and Erik B. and Rakim's "I Know You Got Soul" start to show themselves. There isn't much focus on vocals; all of Realistic's effort goes toward inducing moods.
Realistic puts a lot of purpose behind each individual track; he has a very specific emotion he wants to evoke with each one. This becomes evident as soon as the album begins with "The Camera Track." The song is timid in the introduction, beginning with some dialogue and guitar looping. There is a brief pause, and then the sound blares back with chanting and industrial-rock percussion. The track turns from hesitant to epic on a dime, and then Realistic goes exploring by layering, remixing and removing different elements. This contrasts sharply with the next track, "Music in the Round," which frames angelic vocals and ukulele with tight drum loops. The juxtaposition of the harmonic singing and the upbeat synth effects is brilliant.
Often on this journey, Realistic is teetering on total chaos as each track is continually morphing. However, everything is held fast by Realistic's drum loops. Without the constant beat, the compositions would crash into a dissonant mess. The anxiety created by toeing the line of complete sonic bedlam is what fuels the album and thrills the listener. It is this ability that shows Realistic is not simply a DJ - he is a true artist. Perpetual Memory Loss succeeds because of the constant twisting. There are a few moments when Realistic focuses on a single musical concept for too long, and then the album almost stalls. However, these moments also show how wonderfully breakneck the rest of the album is.
On the best tracks, Realistic takes a specific genre and makes it his own. "Library Music" seems to be his ode to '60s bubblegum pop (it even begins with some dialogue from the intro of "Daydream Believer" by The Monkees). He tosses together some Four Season-esque piano and a doo-wop bassline with spacey synth flare-ups. This amalgamation travels its course and finally ends with a sample stripped from "The Sound of Music."
A lot of loving effort went into Perpetual Memory Loss. This album isn't geared toward getting people to dance; it is far too complex. Realistic attempts to paint mental images with his found sounds - listening to "Snowday Plaything" one can imagine a young Towning playing computer games and listening to his mom's classic rock records on his day off from school. The genius of Perpetual Memory Loss lies in the fact that throughout the whole album, Realistic harnesses the music that fills our daily lives and uses it to tell his own stories.
4 STARS
Now that you've read about it, listen to it. Visit www.myspace.com/realistic or www.illegalart.net.
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