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V/A The Free Design Redesigned - The Remix EP vol. 1
Light In The Attic / 2004
The pitch: Take accomplished yet left-of-center producers and songwriters of today and have them re-interpret music from the '60s and '70s. But instead of tasking these artists to flip an original Verve or Blue Note jazz tune, have them redesign The Free Design. Never heard of The Free Design? Think of old psychedelic folk bands like The Mamas and the Papas, early Jefferson Airplane or The Byrds. Then imagine that there were "groovier" underground bands doing the same thing at the same time. The Free Design family released a handful of albums in the late '60s and early '70s with little commercial success but a strong cult following. Sound far out, man? It is… kind of. With a production lineup of Sharpshooters, a pair of Stones Throwers, and some indie-pop studs, this remix project reeks of all things good on college radio: simple, modest guitar licks that you wish you'd thought of, alternative voicing and harmonies, some experimental noise here and there, and a collage of funky electronic beats thrown in for good measure.
DJs, don't expect to rock the house with this 12". It's a listening record and, much like college radio, the hooks are more quirky than catchy. While each song has its own unique dabbling of psychedelic '60s throwback, the two efforts advancing to the next round are the Sharpshooters and Mellow renditions. Sharpshooters, who also release their own plodding downbeat soul off Light In The Attic, believe less is more. On "Don't Turn Away", they keep it simple and infectious by letting the harrowing harmonies stand on their own, humbly backed by an introspective downbeat. It's one of those rainy day loops that can on for ever, the only downside being that you'll have to keep picking up the needle to replay it. Mellow, a French group the shamelessly allow themselves to be influenced by psychedelic folk rock, is an ideal band to pay homage to this '60s group. Their cover of the ballad "Kites Are Fun" has eyebrow-raising traces of Sigur Ros' beautiful whines and although it's a great rendition, it may sound a bit too much like The Free Design here. Honorable mention goes to Chris Geddes (of Belle & Sebastian 'fame') and Hush Puppy. Together they concoct a giggly, scampering two-chapter dream sequence on the prophetic "2002 - A Hit Song". The next volume should prove to be just as interesting, as Danger Mouse and Stereolab tie on their headbands, throw on their tasseled vests and squirm into their skin-tight bellbottoms to re-groove some more selections from The Free Design's archive. Have a nice day! - Beau Lamontagne
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