Ophibre / Hunted Creatures Split

Ophibre - A Harem Of Moths


I have a theory. I think the ratio of good to bad tapes is much higher than any other media. I don't really know why, maybe it's because people who put out tapes mean business. They don't fuck around and they know what they're doing. Tapes are special and you can't just put anything on tape (see my Bulbs review for more on that). So due to such a high ratio of awesomeness, I think I need to start reserving phrases like "favorite tape ever" and "best tape in the world" for really special ones. This... this might be one of those tapes.

Ophibre's side of this split is utterly impeccable drone. It kicks up like a some sort of UFO engine. It's got the exact frequency of the engine drone and it's fantastic. As time goes on, though, and you think of the title of the song ("A Harem Of Moths"), you realize that this isn't an engine. No no no, this is the fucking apocalypse. You see, I have a slight aversion to moths. They're hideous, terrifying, and disgusting. And this sound, this song that Ophibre made, is the sound of my nightmares. It's the unbearable and deafening buzz of a riot of moths. But, when all is said and done, I can detach myself from my mottephobia, and enjoy the shit out of "A Harem Of Moths." I mean, you have to. Because it's amazing.

As is the case with many split tapes I seem to find myself getting into, I have no idea who's on the other side. I'm a flat out newcomer to the Hunted Creatures parade. The name doesn't even sound familiar. But again, as with previous split tapes, this guy totally kills. The first song is live and much more dynamic than Ophibre's side. He makes dark and ominous noise with thunderous sporadic beats, followed by far away air raid sirens and gun shots. Talk about some scary shit. I would not want to be wherever this is supposed to be taking place, which is most likely Detroit in 5 years. Creatures' 20 minutes isn't entirely spent attempting to make you duck and cover, though. It's mixed with strange half-pretty drones that fuck with my brain. I'm never quite sure what I'm supposed to be feeling. Needless to say, totally cool.

Just like every other Ophsound release, this one looks gorgeous and probably takes the cake for best packaged tape ever. It's wrapped in white corrugated cardboard and tied with string. The inner side of the cardboard has the liner notes, while inside the plastic case, the tape is wrapped in a see-through vellum with a printed pattern. Totally awesome. This is another five bucker and it's obviously completely worth it, even for the artwork alone. Check out my Flickr for lots of photos of the tape.