Bealla's Bobby Pins- Baby Food Furniture

Artist: Bealla's Bobby Pins
CD Title: Baby Food Furniture
Label: Ionik Recordings
Reviewer: Matthew Johnson
Date: 12/28/05

The project of French-based ambient experimental composer Matt Beall, Bealla’s Bobby Pins takes the playful weirdness of such artists as Coil and Dead Voices On Air and divorces it from the creepier undertones. The result is something no less strange for its comparative innocence; there are still plenty of blips, whirrs, tinny rhythmic effects and broken toys, but they’re put together in such a way that they’re simple and pleasant, devoid of obvious references to sadomasochism or the occult. “Snow Shoes” is perhaps the album’s best track, full of cheerfully clicking rhythms, sleepy vibraphones and muffled jazzy horns, but “Pulse and Speed” also burbles along intriguingly, while “Tested” samples snippets of Hindu devotional chanting without being too overwhelmingly New Age about it. “What’s That Noise” is another favorite, a psychedelic ambient groove with echoing samples that betray an offbeat sense of humor that recalls Aphex Twin’s Richard D. James, and “Isle De La Nuit” is similarly playful, adding a toy-like piano melody to an intentionally low-fi Casio-inspired drum pattern. While Beall doesn’t go out of his way to be intentionally challenging or obscure, this is still a fun little collection of oddball electronic music sure to please dark ambient fans in the mood for something a little less intense.

Visit www.ionikrecords.com for more information about Bealla's Bobby Pins and other Ionik Recordings artists.