Uvwxyz by Libythth

Review written by Jools Cacophony

Crash down to earth with a celestial daze with Libythth’s 12 song album Uvwxyz. This album treats your ears to experimental jazz with elements of live bass and drums as well as funky new technical elements layered on top. The music on Uvwxyz is drawn out but Libythth’s desire to have weird techno melodies layered on top of the live tracks keeps you tuned in. Some songs feel lengthy with simple repetitive melodies on the guitar, no clear beginning, middle and end of a song. It’s like you’re watching someone who is making a grand zig-zagging line. At times the zig-zags can be interesting and complex but other times the zig-zag line is too long with no end in sight. I listen to this album passively. On the bus, playing video games, washing dishes. But when I actively sit down to listen to it and only focus on the music it’s a sludge.

When I listen to music I want something in the song to hold me close to the track so I can follow through and listen to the whole thing. But, with a lack of chords, melody and lyrics Uvwxyz becomes hard for me to sit through. The moments I most enjoyed listening to a track was because of a vocal screw like you’d hear by a DJ or some sample of a vocal interlaid on the track, but those can be few and far between. All the drums sounded crisp and intentional leading the song to go forward. Funky drum beats are often the only parts of songs that I can follow beat for beat in my mind. With that, the bass is subtle and light. I love the weirdness of the album, even the cover art is like listening to the music. It’s a different world. Libythth utilizes a range of tones in his music. Blending elements of structured Jazz music with incomprehensible experimental sounds. That being said, every song is different and every song is a brain tease. That’s probably why it’s hard for me to get through. This album pokes me, but pokes me not with a stick but a long windy feather. When listening to the album fully for the first time I was thinking to myself how weirdly similar the melody of Festa sounds eerily like I’m Slowly Turning Into You by The White Stripes. I enjoy being able to relate this music that seems impossible to explain to something that Is a familiar and comforting melody to me. Now I have the rock song I’m Slowly Turning Into You that is now in my head compared to a song that sounds like it was made by an alien who likes jazz and seeing DJs.

The crowning jewel on this project is the last song Oøstr. It is a “cover” of the song (Don’t Fear) The Reaper by Blue Öyster Cult. The fact that this project ends on a cover of Blue Öyster cult and that the song title is altered to Oøstr is referential and humorous highlighting the nature of Libythth’s personality. Oøstr distorts the melody of this commonly known song, while keeping the familiar elements of the choruses’ harmony. There are electronic breakdowns throughout the song that add layers and layers of almost unnecessary depth to the song. He doesn’t take things seriously but he takes the end result seriously. Melodies, song structure, and rhythm are all over the place on this project but that’s how it should be. Libythth knows that his music will never be mainstream or even hit a mass audience and he doesn’t care. It doesn’t matter to him if his music is popular he just wants to create and make.

Uvwxyz makes you think that everything shouldn’t be taken seriously. Things can sound strange with a blend of sounds and noises. I listened to this album nearly a dozen times and after each time it was a struggle to want to listen to again. But then one day out of the blue the second and third track (Blixa and Argelp) was stuck in my head. To me that’s good music. It makes your head hurt, gives you headaches, but becomes truly stuck in your head so you can’t stop thinking about it.