In Cod We Trust

Album Review

Whenever there's a new release from the Ipecac label, you know that you can be in for just about anything. But that's why you love 'em so much. Case in point, one of the label's first releases of 2006, In Cod We Trust by Ghostigital, a name some might remember as the title of former Sugarcubes member Einar Örn's solo debut. Here, he takes care of the vocals (in an almost stream-of-consciousness vein) and partners once again with a chap named Curver, making Ghostigital an album title that turned into a band. Curver is a remixer (having worked with Sigur Rós) and a multi-instrumentalist — handling electronics, tape delays, and "gadgets." The gentlemen from one of the world's coldest countries create one unpredictable sonic stew, as rap, electronic, and experimental bits collide with one another, as evidenced by such ditties as "Not Clean," "Northern Lights," and "Green Lounge." Örn and Curver enlist the aid of several special guests throughout, including Ipecac labelmates Mugison and Dälek, among several others (as well as Örn's son, Kaktus, who blows a mean trumpet). In Cod We Trust is certainly not easy listening, but not all music is meant to be easily digestible.