Search - Negativland :: Guns

Classic Soundbite Mutilation

Kevin Barrack | San Mateo, CA USA | 03/14/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD only contains about sixteen minutes of music, evenly split between the two tracks. As is somewhat apparent from the album art, this CD was a reaction to the successful lawsuit brought against Negavivland by Island records, which forced Negativland to pull their previous EP "U2" from stores and destroy them.The first track, "Then", is heavily infused with sound bites from classic western movies and television, including a Clint Eastwood sample. It starts off slow and calm, and builds in intensity by splicing bits from separate film plots into one hilarious and nonsensical new drama, which reaches its climax with a huge and noisy gun battle.The second track, "Now", is not my favorite, even though it basically does the same thing as the first, only it uses modern samples concerning guns, such as a news clip saying "Oswald has been shot". While the first track is a smooth ride, this one shifts tempos and mood fairly dramatically several times. I wasn't as amused by it, perhaps because of the more relevant and politically charged soundbites dealing with modern gun enthusiasts. It seemed less humorous to me, although others might disagree with this analysis.Overall, this is a good/great EP, although the price is pretty steep. If you are a first-time Negativland buyer, then the CD to buy is "Escape From Noise", which is their classic, but for a fan wanting more Negativland goodies, this is a good choice that will entertain, and provide a good source of strange material to put on mixed tapes for your less-enlightened friends."