Central Hug/Friendarmy/Fractaldunes:Emperor X

Title: Central Hug/Friendarmy/Fractaldunes

Label: Discos Mariscos

Genre: lo-fi experimental pop

Rating: 6.4 of 7

Emperor X, better known as Chad Matheny, is a twenty-something former chemistry teacher and vision impaired singer/songwriter who threw away his guitar for a bundle of lo-fi instruments he picked up at a local thrift store. This is the follow-up to his acclaimed debut Tectonic Membrane/Thin Strip on an Edgeless Platform that took a lot of underground music fans by surprise. Matheny’s talent at creating catchy lo-fi pop tunes has already gained him comparisons to Casiotone for the Painfully Alone and early Modest Mouse. Dipping his mixer into healthy portions of folk, experimental rock, electronica, pop and dance music, he has been able to create clever and ear-friendly songs that transcend genres without the clutter that most like-minded bands find themselves lost in. His lyrics express everything from a strong yearning to drive (he cannot legally drive due to his impaired vision) to an obsession with rapid transit to sociopathic misadventures with friends. Emperor X is a story-teller with a knack for playful sound experimentation, how can you not like that?

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