LAVA 303 - The Goddess Rules |
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13 songs |
If there was ever an acquired taste, it’s definitely the music of Lava 303, the solo project of Conni Maly who is probably better known as the guitarist of The Slags, one of the first and foremost German all-female rock bands. It goes without saying that Ms Maly is an extraordinary guitarist, and I credit her strongly for not burdening the world with yet another insipid singer/songwriter album. Instead she uses a Roland MC-303 groovebox and a Korg Electribe sequencer to flesh out her compositions. Her label has already decided that The Goddess Rules is a milestone of acid rock’n’roll, but the very dominant electronic instruments add strong techno and trance elements that at first seem extremely change with their contrasting sound, but once you get the hang of it, it actually all makes sense. Lava 303 combines the druggy subcultures of rock and electro into something rather unique, although she is not the first to experiment in this territory. Hawkwind and Ozric Tentacles have tried likewise mergers, and it goes without saying that Lava 303 can be counted successfully among their ranks. The thirteen songs are all between four and seven minutes long, always take their time to build a hypnotic effect. Conni Maly’s rather monotonous vocals help to emphasise the trippy nature of the music. Add to this her sometimes weird feminist/political lyrics, and you are in the presence of one of the most idiosyncratic albums you will have heard in a long time. There is even a remix of an early Nineties song (Destination Moon) from The Slags where the real instrumentation adds an even more rocking touch. The Goddess Rules is maybe a little too long to keep your undivided attention throughout, but at least it’s different from 99% of the music we normally come across. Lava 303 has created a truly original work that should be checked out by everyone who likes their music full of strange vibes. |