Pink Skull: Gonzo's Cointreau
Free News Projects

Don't be thrown by Matt Leines' silly cover artwork: the three dance cuts comprising Pink Skull's Gonzo's Cointreau are serious business indeed. Co-conspirators Julian Grefe and Justin Geller work their love for early avant-techno into Pink Skull's slightly off-kilter mix. Spearheaded by see-sawing melodies, “Bubblelog Aftermath” opens the EP with a hyperactive, bass-throbber that stomps royally with a little hiccup in its step. Sputtering synths strafe the tune's pounding tech-house pulse and wacky noises surface every now and then to keep things from getting too well-behaved, after which the equally throbbing clubber “Cry for Meee” twists itself into epileptic shape. “Gonzo's Cointreau,” which gets the B side all to itself, works its writhing funk-house groove with relentless determination though breaks it up with percussion episodes, drum breaks, and vocal flourishes. Influenced by the likes of C an, Faust, Daft Punk, and Plastikman, Pink Skull makes music “for those who love drugs and disco” and that's pretty much what the 12-inch single's material (a foretaste of the upcoming full-length Zeppelin 3) sounds like.

May 2008