[a]pendics.shuffle - Helicopter Hearts (2x12"/CD)
label . orac records
release date . september 26, 2005

Look to the skies: [a]pendics.shuffle’s Helicopter Hearts are about to land on a dancefloor near you. Ha ha ha! Kenneth James Gibson, as he refers to himself, has prepared a fantastic 8 tracker and submitted it to Orac HQ for immediate release. Vigorous dance anthems are dominating the playlist as [a]pendics.shuffle joins his Orac comrades in exploring the power of 4 on the floor. This album is about songs that you can dance to. Songs with words and songs without words, and songs in between.

After side A sets the tone with two motivating yet mysterious numbers, the deep blue night of Echo Park falls with “Baneful Lather” on side B, a dark stomper for the dark discos of LA. Next comes “Saw Saw Soup” which has already found its way up the charts; this reworked version features a happier Michael J. and a slightly mellower [a]pendics.shuffle.

The noddy “Dirty Hood” is another diabolical number, straight-up vocal funk strengthened by thoroughly modernsounding stabs and slowly building percolating drum patterns. The rest of sides C and D find our Mr. Gibson getting deep into the instrumentals, juggling horns, radio receivers and his signature [a].funkadelics, finding Farben-like jazz records loops, indulging, in high drama which for all its sonic explorations never fails to return to the dance floor.

• a1 . my helicopter heart
• a2 . your words are necessary
• b1 . baneful lather
• b2 . saw saw soup (miso mix)
• c1 . dirty hood
• c2 . cemento
• d1 . garbanzo love
• d1 . beyond speech

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