On their full-length debut,
Youth Controllerzzz, the Northwestern no wave-inspired combo
Die Monitr Batss gives their Dim Mak labelmates,
Miracle Chosuke, some competition for releasing the shortest album -- though the latter band's
The 7/8 Wonders of the World beats
Youth Controllerzzz by a minute, the album's nine-track, 14-and-a-half-minute length can hardly be called indulgent. The group's use of atonal saxophone wails on songs like "Copter" helps the band stand out from the pack of groups currently resurrecting no wave's noisy ideals, as does their commitment to the sound's primitive roots. Brace Paine and Lana On's shouted dual vocals and the overall lo-fi sound of
Youth Controllerzzz give the album an occasionally childlike sense of experimentation, but the most fleshed-out songs, such as "Weaponsss" and "Spread Your Leggs, Release the Batss," which was released as a 7" and is probably the most immediately accessible track here, gradually reveal some more sophisticated compositional elements than might be expected at first. Still, the album's emphasis is on the invigorating side of chaos, especially on tracks like "Hand Mode Death" and "Nurse on Nurse." With such an explosive sound,
Youth Controllerzzz doesn't need to be any longer than it is --
Die Monitr Batss manages to wreak plenty of musical havoc in just under a quarter of an hour. ~ Heather Phares