Whatever Brains

Rapper's Delight [7-inch] (2010)

Brian Shultz

Whatever Brains' Nesting 7" was an experimental array of different subgenres and influences–everything from lo-fi punk to noise rock and garage was stewed into an obnoxiously strange but decent mix of an EP. The followup, Rapper's Delight, was released a few months after, and is a bit weirder and even more difficult.

The opening title track of sorts, "Rappers Delight II" (where's "I"?), is a snotty, seasick back-and-forth that's hard to describe. It's almost like a nauseous mix of the more obscure bands/styles that influenced Nirvana ('90s noise rock? '80s noise hardcore?), and it doesn't really get enjoyable until a more distorted, rhythmic march comes through with a minute left, complemented by apathetic snarling. "Village Sewer" picks up where that track leaves off, but adds somewhat creepy keyboards, guitar loops and effects. If there's a twisted carnival-esque feel to this 7", it's exemplified by closer "What Makes a Man Make 'What Makes a Man Start Fires?'". Yeah, that's its title.

The bizzare touches of Nesting were just restrained enough that that EP could be all over the place and still be enjoyable. Rapper's Delight feels a little more one-sided, though, and this particularly new, noisy trawl doesn't feel quite as captivating. It certainly has its moments, though (the dirge-y finish to that aforementioned closer).