Visit Venus - The Endless Bummer
A review of The Endless Bummer, Visit Venus’ darker, technically sharper follow-up to Music For Space Tourism Vol. 1.
Artist: Visit Venus · Year: 1998 · Rating: ★★★★
The Endless Bummer’s name immediately warns the listener that this is going to be a departure from the laid-back retro-lounge vibes of Music For Space Tourism Vol. 1. Buckle up for a less optimistic atmosphere that still leaves you enjoying the ride.
The album opens with The Big Tilt, a set piece also featured on a discrete single (and several enthusiastic remixes). The track opens with a sample I believe is from 1976’s The Black Hole, reinforcing their space-tourism vibe, before launching into pretty straightforward synth electronica.
The track is followed with the Roland 808-ish bass beat of 144.000 (the name a likely reference, though whether to a biblical 144,000, the Mayan calendar, or something else is up for debate I suppose). The whole thing samples soundtrack-like horns; given the vocal cut “The battle with the guards was magnificent!” came from Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon (1973), that’d be my bet.
The album continues in that vein, sampling heavily over minor tones and catchy loops, filled out with a tapestry of technological noise (or, in one case, literal human beatboxing); this is an album that has a lot to offer to an active listener, but has a lot less chill than the downtempo genre often features in spite of the predominantly laid-back tempo.
To my ear, this record feels technically superior to its predecessor—von Hecht and Cullmann layered sounds heavily but effectively, managed to sell a message even without lyrics, and created something that feels fresh while still feeling like a logical continuation of their first effort. However, technical merits and artistic value aside, I admit I find myself reaching for their first record instinctively when I want to listen to their music for the sake of the music itself.
There are stand-out tracks on this album that I absolutely love. Planet of the Breaks (Arrival), in particular, feels like the personal soundtrack I want playing while driving my moon buggy under the stars, and I feel like the album really shines in its latter half (Space H, Kinski Disko Fox Machine, and High Plane Drifters all deserve special mention). However, the very thing that makes The Endless Bummer’s concept work so well—mood—is the thing that makes me put this masterpiece at a criminally subjective 4 stars out of 5.
Monkey Radio Tracks: 11/12
- Visit Venus - The Big Tilt
- Visit Venus - Hurt Of a Nerd
- Visit Venus - Kinski Disko Fox Machine
- Visit Venus - 144000
- Visit Venus - Space H
- Visit Venus - Planet of the Breaks Escape
- Visit Venus - Children Of the Rave Solution
- Visit Venus - Space Nazis must die
- Visit Venus - Planet of the Breaks Arrival
- Visit Venus - High Plane Drifters
- Visit Venus - The Next Testament
