Note the spelling of
Demon Queen's Exorcise Tape. This is not an aerobics tape to play while people are getting physical, but instead, one to play as evil spirits swirl around an exorcism ceremony. The debut album from
Zackey Force Funk and
Black Moth Super Rainbow's
Tobacco shares the sonic template that
Tobacco used to produce Fucked Up Friends and Maniac Meat, with squelchy synths, punchy hip-hop beats, and a woozy haze of electronic melodies, while
Zackey Force Funk contributes the same sleazy falsetto that was formerly heard on Minimal Wave. However, there is a purposely darker vibe permeating this project than on the prior outings of either artist. Sending files over the Net between Pittsburgh and Tucson, the two started collaborating on songs, writing a soundtrack conceived for a seedy strip club in
Zackey Force Funk's neighborhood, a place where he imagined the dancers to be satanic (like the demon strippers in the Tarantino/
Rodriguez film From Dusk Till Dawn). With hyper-sexualized lyrics and grimy trap beats, the two succeed in making something that nearly hits the mark, with musical ties to
Salem's sinister witch house and
XXYYXX's druggy, lo-fi brand of experimental bass music. There is a huge sense of irony on board too, with tongue-in-cheek references to sex, drugs, and rock & roll (and the Devil) throughout. The influence of
Beck (a guest on
Tobacco's Maniac Meat) is prominent as well, as the duo use
Midnite Vultures' neon funk as a blueprint for their fun electro fusion, dunking it into a witch's cauldron and rendering it murky and cursed. ~ Jason Lymangrover