Search - Venetian Snares + Speedranch :: Making Orange Things

Quite the debut

Kevin Fiske | Los Angeles, CA | 11/09/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This was Venetian Snares first album. Story goes that VS and Speedranch put this together using AIM, and the album in many ways seems to reflect this in the tacked-together mangled style that was, in the case of VS, to later finesse into the erratic breakbeat style he is best known for. Speedranch has followed more of the aggressive and dirty characteristics that this album represents, and is perhaps more indicative of his later work than Aaron Funk's. This album sounds like a first album, and through sheer boldness more than anything else manages to in some sense succeed. I put this album on when I need to let go of some stress/aggression, because nothing is able to humble those emotions in me more than listening to the screech-scream-break-smash-deathcore-explosions that this work exudes on my speakers."

I understand even if you don't

dogparty | 10/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dope album if you like an insane wall of noise and maniac beat drills coming at you at 500 MPH like a steel eagle of terror. Dope dope dope noise gabber death twitch madness."

One of Vsnares' weakest. Interesting, but not essential.

Steward Willons | Illinois | 04/12/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"First off, I'm a huge Venetian Snares fan. I dig most everything Aaron Funk has released over his prolific career. That said, "Making Orange Things" is, in my opinion, one of his weakest releases. While it's high on energy and aggression, it suffers due to Speedranch's unintelligible and cliched lyrics - when I can understand them, that is. But beyond Speedranch, it's really the work of an artist who has not yet found his voice.



There are hints of the greatness that is to come, but his sound is unfocused. Funk had not yet figured out pacing. Everything is manic leaving the senses no time to rest. Really, the biggest criticism I have against the album is that it's almost impossible to listen to it in one sitting. I'm willing to enjoy an all-out sonic assault if I'm having a rewarding experience. I love Merzbow and such. However, the noisiness, to me, doesn't feel like it's used wisely. It feels like a substitute for ideas.



I do like some of Vsnares's early work. "Greg Hates Car Culture," for instance, has the energy of true inspiration while "Doll Doll Doll" has a wonderfully sinister darkness. I don't get those same feelings from "Making Orange Things." I think it's simply a product of Funk's compositional development. It's always interesting when you can hear an artist grow from album to album. Since Funk releases so much material, one can virtually trace his breakthroughs with his discography.



Some might think two stars is much too harsh. I'm grading it on a purely Vsnares scale. This album might rank three or more stars compared to a lot of what's out there, but when you compare this with his later work, it's just not as good. I'd recommend this album mostly to completists who have all his other CDs, and to those curious about early Venetian Snares. I would rather recommend "Greg Hates Car Culture," "printf," or "Doll Doll Doll" as examples of his early work, but those are often difficult, if not impossible, to find these days. If you're new to Venetian Snares, this is most definitely not the place to start. It's an interesting snap shot of a young artist learning his craft, but it's non-essential."