Liquid Liquid: Optimo Vinyl 12″

Slip in and out of phenomenon. Superior Viaduct coming through with a proper reissue of Liquid Liquid’s 1983 dance-punk classic.There’s only so much 99 Records stuff out there, and though it’s always nice to find a Congo or Vivien Goldman record, you can’t really beat Liquid Liquid. Thanks to comps from labels like Soul Jazz and Mo’ Wax, everybody knows every song on this classic four-cut EP. The songs are exercises in instrumental space, utilizing rub-n-tug basslines, dominating roto toms, and multi-layered percussion. If you’ve never heard these tracks, shame on you. Kicking off proceedings is the title track “Optimo.” Backwards cowbell in the house! From its herky-jerky drum loping and the monosyllabic bassline we get one of the heaviest drum-circle tracks in history. “Scraper” is also theshit, what with the guiro and xylophones and such. “Cavern” is the jam everyone knows (even if they don’t know it by name). That bassline will go down as one of the catchiestever recorded!The EP closer “Out”densely summarizes the sound on this record, except Sal Principato goes apeshit on the vocals. This is kind of one of the best records of all time. Recommended.

• music label: 99 Records 1983 / Superior Viaduct 2015

reviewed by Woodman 08/2015