Holy crap, when did we start getting so much mail sent to us? It’s getting to the point where we’re totally backlogged with things to review, and I’m getting scared to open our mailbox. Regardless, there’s two ways to get RetroLowFi’s attention real quicklike. One is to send us your new album on vinyl, of course. We like wax as much as you do. But if you can’t make that happen, make us a mixtape. And seriously, not just some thrown together thing to get your band bumped to the top of the list, but a *good* mix. Just sayin’.

If you keep up with us at RLF, you’ve probably seen Patrick Ripoll’s name around. Not because we cover his music too often, but due to the fact that he’s one of our most consistent commentators. I knew exactly who he was when I saw the name on the padded envelope, and was all too happy to check out what he sent us.

Turns out that the cat has made a few lo-fi Darnielle-inspired records here and there. I haven’t really heard those, but his new album Disorient is a totally different affair. Really glitchy stuff made out of every available sample at Ripoll’s disposal, Disorient is a 43-minute exploration into all forms of noise that can be made musically. Now before I give an opinion, I must tell you something upfront, dear reader: if the music in question has been made with a laptop and a bunch of samples, I’m not only gonna hate it, but I’m probably going to break your album in half. If you’re using electronic sampled beats, I have a 75% lean towards hating what you’re doing. Nothing personal, it’s just the way my ears hear things. If Thom Yorke can’t impress me with laptop-rock, I doubt you stand a chance.

That being said, Disorient was not only so good that I enjoyed it wayyy more than I thought I would after reading the detailed enclosed packet containing information about the samples included in each track, but I wanted to play it a second time. That doesn’t happen to this reviewer with the glitch genre.

And why is this so good? Well, sure, Patrick runs off with some easily obtainable and obvious vocal tracks to remix like the Beastie Boys “Check It Out” and Jay-Z’s “99 Probelms”… but this artist has actually done something interesting and unexpected with them. The latter is a mashup laid over the top of Okkervil River’s “Black”, while the former is - get this - placed over a musical bed of clips from The Doors song “Peace Frog”, the intro of “Baba O’Riley”, and the half-time chorus of “Paradise By The Dashboard Light”. Of course, that’s only about a sixth of the tracks manipulated within, but you don’t see a damned bit of it coming. And that’s the whole point of glitch, aint it? Making something brand new out of previously recorded works, and not just a vehicle to “get the party started”. *cough* Girl Talk *cough*.

Elsewhere, you’ll find tracks that deconstruct everyone from System Of A Down and Nirvana to Primus and Fishboy(!!) into an incomprehensible musical sludge that sounds one hundred perecent like an artistic vision and not just some clipped up and pitchshifted beats. Disorient is a really great record, period.

You can stream Disorient in its entirety here from CLLCT. To my knowledge, no physical copies exist otherwise. And in the interest of full disclosure, I must tell you two things:

a): Ripoll samples a song written by one of the RetroLowFi writers. We’re not telling who.
b): He sent us a really bitchin’ mixed CD along with our copy of Disorient. Again… just sayin’.

Patrick Ripoll - The Black Album.mp3
Patrick Ripoll - Ch-Ch-Check Out What I Can Do!.mp3
Patrick Ripoll - Highly Toxic.mp3