Psychotropical Heatwave

Album Review

This first record from the mysterious Prince Charming proves two things: 1) he has a knack for mind-boggling song titles, and 2) he meshes different styles into fascinating combinations. To prove the former, he has "Stroboscopic Searchlights Sweeping Tidepools of Parasite," "Spider Monkey Snuff Flicks of Black Magic Projectionists," and "Crews of Crazed Contortionists Infected Egyptologists Absorbed in Photosynthesis Under the Broken Obelisks" (all of which are the shortest titles on this album). To prove the second point, disorienting trip-hop music goes along with these psychedelic titles. Finger-snapping swing meets booming industrial music, lush string textures mesh with primitive beat box sounds, electro-samba is undercut with lush choirs, cocktail jazz is heard over swirling electronics, heavy metal chords clang over sobbing violins, and African jungle-rumble is mixed with overture blasts. The whole trick is that all of this is formed together inventively and relatively smoothly (which is impressive considering how disparate the styles are). Though he would apologetically say that this record was done with "primitive equipment," Psychotropical Heatwave is an entertaining genre-bending exercise that's smarter, stronger, and better crafted than most of the empty-headed, techno-ambient music around.