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Demo cassette from this new band from Austin, Texas.
Our take: This tape isn’t actually a demo, but rather a compilation of four different recordings: three small-run demo releases and a recording of a live show. Austin’s Chronophage sounds like a bedroom project in the best way possible, like a few weirdos with some hand-me-down musical equipment and obsolete recording gear muddling their way through making their own music. While Chronophage doesn’t sound like an homage at all, they remind me of Swell Maps and Cleaners from Venus in their rickety, homemade approach to making pop music. Like those bands, the Velvet Underground seems to be a key influence on Chronophage, particularly the way their sound slides between rock, pop, and out-there experimentation; there’s even an interesting cover of “I’ll Be Your Mirror” buried somewhere on this lengthy release. If you’re a fan of sprawling collections like the Swell Maps’ International Rescue or the compilations of Cabaret Voltaire’s early, home-recorded material I don’t know of a closer modern equivalent to those releases than this cassette.