Food Court - Food Court (2014)

 

Free Improvisation / Experimental

RIYL: Graham Lambkin, Simple Affections, Jason Lescaleet

★★½

Food Court is one of those albums I've kept around and repeatedly tried to love largely based on the draw of its gorgeously dreamlike cover art, but even if the impenetrable soundscapes billowing out from the vinyl weren't as initially enticing as the visual aesthetic their paradoxical intrigue had me coming back for more (albeit years later in some cases). Like most Kye releases (and others often saddled with the "non-music" genre label), Food Court's self-titled is more about atmosphere and twisted humor than melody, as two live interpretations of French composer Solage's chorale piece "Fumeux Fume Par Fumée", an a capella tongue twister of sorts that dates back to the late 14th century, drunkenly wander through discordant flutes, strings, and the occasional dramatic drumroll like a flushed medieval bard.

The version on Side B diverges even further from the original with hissing wind blowing in a vortex around a spoken-word vocalist who simply repeats variations of the affirmative "yeah" and "sell" (or is it "so") in particularly jarring and arrhythmic patterns. I'm still not entirely convinced that Tiny Mix Tapes' perfect score and glowing review of it wasn't some sick joke (something I've been wondering more and more often about their "Eureka!" choices and iconic meme reviews as the years go on), but after being tempted to revisit Food Court over seemingly regular intervals I'm finally forced to concede that there must be something mystical and alluring lurking somewhere beneath its repellent obstinacy.