Search - Freezepop :: Future Future Future Perfect

Freezepop's latest is more mature, still great fun

K. Rice | Irving, TX | 10/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Opening the CD with Guitar Hero 2's "Less Talk, More Rokk" is a very tough act to follow. However, FFF Perfect, while not necessarily 'perfect', is a great electropop CD that may even introduce a few new people to this style of music.



For those not in the know, it's mostly bleeps and bloops (thanks to the mostly lo-fi instruments) that sounds like it came from Yaz or early Depeche Mode (although not as moody as the latter). While "Less Talk" is certainly a very well crafted, highly produced song, others such as the surprisingly lyrical "Balloon Thoughts" or the goofier "Pop Music Is Not A Crime" submit to the earlier techno flavor mentioned earlier. "Do You Like My Wang?" is really just a silly play on a pun, while "Swimming Pool" is surprisingly lucid and touching.



As a whole, there are not really any songs that are clunkers here, but this style of music is not everyone's cup of tea. You may want to listen to the snippets linked here on Amazon, or head over to Freezepop's website (freezepop.net) for a few full songs (free to listen to). "FFF Perfect" is a supreme example of this style of music full of good beats and memorable melodies; just know what you are purchasing first. No one wants another shiny $12 coaster."

Get Fancy Ultra Fresh if you want tasty licks from the past.

Cynthia Pop | Houston, Texas, USA | 08/02/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Freezepop's "we're growing up...but not all the way" album. Some old-school fans may complain that it's not jammed full of peppy poppy cartoon ditties like their earlier albums, however in terms of production, continuity, and variety, this is probably the best Freezepop album yet. Liz Enthusiasm, who previously delivered every song in doe-eyed monotone is now pushing her vocals harder in songs like "Frontload" and "Brainpower", the latter being a song about an ill-chosen band name. The album wraps up on a downbeat tone, with an ominous Moroder-like riff and a tale of stolen styling gel.



Though the album is docked a star here for being less than pefect due to the inclusion of "Do You Like My Wang", there's a 5-star import version of this album available elsewhere with "Wang" replaced by "Get Drunk With Milk", "I Think Best In Wire" and "Smoke Machine(storslagen mix)". Nab that one.



Similar to the direction taken by desperate-but-not-serious synthpoppers Joy Electric, Hyperbubble, and Femme Fatality, "Future Future Future Perfect" concentrates on keeping things on the upbeat, while taking the occasional peek into the darkness. Don't worry though, with Freezepop at the controls, the future looks bright."

A unique-sounding synthopop group.

Tom Brody | Berkeley, CA | 07/05/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"FREEZEPOP is a synthopop group with a female singer with an occasional male vocal. FREEZEPOP's compositions often contain real tunes and interesting varieties of rhythms and chord changes. In contrast, the compositions of most other synthopop groups are just as brain-numbingly predictable as the noises expelled from the signal at a railroad crossing. Liz Enthusiasm is the singer of FREEZEPOP, and she provides this group's signature sound, which consists of a whispy soft melodies. The whispy soft melody, at its best, can be found in POP MUSIC IS NOT A CRIME and DO YOU LIKE BOYS. In some songs, Liz Enthusiasm's vocal is a recitative or chant (BRAIN POWER), and in one song, her contribution is like ordinary talking (AFTER PARTY).



LESS TALK MORE ROCK starts with driving synthesizers with a little motif featuring a rising progression of notes. The synthesizers are rough and driving, but not as much as found in the music of SKINNY PUPPY or NINE INCH NAILS. Then, all we hear is an electronic drum beat and the soft voice of Liz Enthusiasm. At another point in this composition, the voice is fed through a device that makes the voice sound like it comes from a megaphone.



POP MUSIC IS NOT A CRIME is the best composition, in my opinion. It begins with the soft whispy voice of Liz, accompanied mainly by electronic percussion. At one point, the voice is fed through the megaphone device. Towards the end, the synthesizers become more prominent, and here, Liz sings with a stronger voice.



FRONTLOAD is more like "space music" and not like rock'n'roll. The term "space music" refers to a genre of synthesizer music that is configured to promote relaxation, e.g., such as the music of Steve Roach or Michael Stearns, or in MUSIC FOR AIRPORTS by Brian Eno.



THOUGHT BALLOON begins with Liz Enthusiasm's whispy soft voice and electronic percussion. The tune has a small range of notes, perhaps a half an octave, but it is a catchy tune nonetheless. This piece is too mild for dancing.



NINJA OF LOVE is a fast driving piece, where a computer provides a percussive chattering effect. In the middle, there is a series of ominous sounding chords, having the quality of a wash. This "wash of sound" theme is repeated until the end of song. This composition is actually better than what might be expected from the childish title.



BRAINPOWER has a playful tune, similar to something from early DEVO, for example, PINK PUSSYCAT. Liz Enthusiasm sings with a strong voice. She sings a recitative or chant, and then she shouts, "Brainpower!" This song is too short. It could have been twice as long.



DO YOU LIKE MY WANG has a male voice and a female voice, both singing softly and almost in whispers. There is no tune to speak of. The chord changes are predictable. In the middle, the synthesizer plays a solo where the notes have the timbre of a bagpipe. Then, after an absence, the two voices return and they sing along while accompanied by the bagpipe.



HE SAYS SHE SAYS starts with a driving motif where the synthesizer has the quality of a vibrating tableknife. The male voice and female voice take turns singing. There is not much of a tune--just three or four notes going up and down.



DO YOU LIKE BOYS starts with a repeating ascending motif. Then, Liz Enthsiasm sings in her whispy voice, accompanied by synthesized percussion. The tune has an interesting circular quality. The circular tune is repeated several times.



SWIMMING POOL starts out sounding like a bunch of banal chord changes with Liz singing whistfully. At this point, the singing might strike one as too quiet and too sporadic. Then, the song transitions into a more driving and focused piece that picks up tempo, sounding like an anthemic hymn. SWIMMING POOL is the anthemic song of the album. Please note that the most famous "anthemic song" in rock'n'roll is WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS by QUEEN.



AFTER PARTY is a hard driving piece, similar to something from KRAFTWERK's album, COMPUTER WORLD. The piece is multi-layered, having three tunes layered on top of each other. One tune is like a rapid vibrating tableknife. On top of this is another tune, that takes the form of slowly approaching footsteps. And on top of this is still another tune, sounding a bit like a braying donkey. After a lengthy instrumental, Liz Enthusiasm talks -- it is just talking, not even a chant or recitative. AFTER PARTY is an imaginative and attractive piece.



CONCLUSION. My favorite pieces from FREEZEPOP are POP MUSIC IS NOT A CRIME, BRAINPOWER, DO YOU LIKE BOYS, and SUPERSPROD (from another album). FREEZEPOP has developed its own unique sound, a sound that provides real tunes, and the provides relief from the skull-numbing repetitiveness of the music produced by most other synthopop groups. It should also be noted, that the music that has been recorded by many synthopop groups is depressing or sad. But this is not at all the case with FREEZEPOP. (Please note that I have not commented on the lyrics. When I listen to rock'n'roll, it is never the case that I do this primarily because of the lyrics.)"