Responsible for one of the most eclectic catalogs of recent memory, Fantômas return with Suspended Animation, a thirty-track set that both celebrates the art of cartoon composition and the many reasons to behold the fourth month of our calendar, April (with one piece for each day of the month). Who knew that April is subtitled national humor and anxiety month? Who knew that the dreaded April 15 was actually titled That Sucks Day or that April 24 marks the beginning of National Karaoke Week? Leave it to the creative minds behind Fantômas to enlighten us to the many forgotten holidays throughout April.
The brainchild of Mike Patton, Fantômas is an anti-hero from a series of pre-WWI French crime novels, sometimes dubbed the lord of terror. Rounding out the ensemble are Buzz Osborne on guitar (Melvins), Trevor Dunn on bass (Mr. Bungle, Trevor Dunns Trio Convulsant) and Dave Lombardo on drums (Slayer).
Fantômas three previous releases have regaled listeners with a sci-fi homage (Fantômas, 1999), a celebration of the best in film composition (Directors Cut, 2001) and a one song album (Delirium Cordia, 2004). As Rolling Stone said in their review of Delirium Cordia: One epic seventy-four minute noise-rock song. Whats not to like? Now with Suspended Animation, the quartet delves headlong into a new and recently unexplored genre... cartoon music. Recorded in the Spring of 2003, during the same sessions as surgically precise Delirium Cordia, Suspended Animation is the yang to Delirium Cordias ying. Bright and loose, Patton describes the new album as nursery rhymes, cartoon sound effects and choppy arrangements.
As with all Ipecac releases, the artwork and packaging are just as integral to unfolding the full story as the piece of music, Suspended Animation is no different. Perhaps the most intricate packaging to date, the thirty page booklet/calendar is illustrated by Asian pop cartoonist Yoshimoto Nara. In a recent San Francisco Bay Guardian feature, Naras influential style was described as cartoonlike images and sculptures of kids and puppies sporting world-weary adult expressions, major attitude and salty vocabularies. The paper went on to say that Naras pieces are among the most cutting edge of Japanese exports in the contemporary art world.
Hello my favourite pornstarzzz! Thnx fot the add and one question for you iz: Don't you wanna come to Czech Republic dudes? I love you all for music you do!!! Fantastic! Aleluya
Thanx Fantomas for your inspiring music and mister Paton for his voice on such amazing different projects. We dedicate to you our "Tryptique". Respect, Les Dantellières
One of my favorite bands ever. Been a fan of Mike Patton since I seen him on the 1990 MTV Music Awards. Experiment In Terror is by far the grandest tracks. Kudos guys. We need new albums.
I walked into the lounge last night and saw a bit of 'Titanic' (Kate Winslet etc)
I saw somebody yell "HARD STARBOARD!" (right) followed by the ship turning hard port (left).
We all cracked up as everyone else I live with noticed straight away too..
then the captain came back from the shitter and got told again that they turned as hard starboard as possible =D
How on earth did that get past the hundreds of people involved? Did anyone else see that?
Anyway have a good accurate one haha
Matt - LION
Your music Rocks! It's cool to see something very unique in the music scene. And also want to say that Page 14 is one of the coolest song ever made! Keep it up!
