Let The Freak Flag Fly (Astralwerks 6200)
Thought lost to the rural northwest, Mike Kandels (formerly of Exist Dance) emerges with a stranger sssand more eccentric full-length than you ever imagined. Let Your Freak Flag Fly is brilliant. Not a traditional album of any sort, the album follows such Tranquility standards as "Cantamilla" as a distant cousin. Influences from funk to disco to folk (yeah, folk) and rock, Kandel wanders through territories not often explored by electronic musicians, while appealing to the truest portions--those who care about the music. No reflective plastic jumpsuits; no glow sticks. Let Your Freak Flag Fly is about dancing, yes, but it's more about free(freak)expresion. Pick it up and be surprised. You'll like it.
URB Jan/Feb '97
