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diledadafish mothball - reviews

Diledadafish sound quite unlike anything you've heard before if only because every track on this 76 minute long CD is distinct in and of itself. Nevertheless I was reminded once or twice of Residents or Renaldo & The Loaf and Coil (specifically the Hellraiser recordings). All of the tracks are rather sparse and strange but never get louder than a firm knock at the door or darker than a chanting monk. For this reason I would recommend Mothball for when you want to let the gray matter wander but need a guide to take it through unopened doors. High sound quality and an engaging packaging job makes a fine product from start to finish. (Mitchell Foy)

This project comes out of Switzerland, and it is de-men-ted. This group has a special bizarro knob that goes all the way up to 11, if you get my drift. It says that all 21 tracks were recorded on 4-track, which is mighty impressive because the sounds that abound on this disc don't feel limited, sparse, or cramped at all. Many of the songs are spooky, a few are kooky, but all are loopy. This CD has "special absorbency in front where boys need it most", but it doesn't have many vocals. I'd say it's a tall glass of wiggy wine that will continue to perplex my ears for many years. (Michael F. Nameche)

Weirdo, dadaist experimentalism from Swiss group, with an exquisitively-designed package. Musically, it's seemingly childlike in feel - playful, busy, and scattered."Mothball" reminds me of the avante noodling of groups like France's DDAA. Curious, cartoonish, silly, and interesting.

A limited, numbered edition of 550 from Yucca Tree Records in Switzerland, this moves from angular electronic improvs and Residents-like weirdness to German-school electronic sound paintings and other European sounds. A beautiful package and the extremely limited supply insures that this will be a wise investment for any collector of electronic music.

The duo Diledadfish, sometimes a trio, brings with the two CD's some bizare music in the scene. First look on the CD's gives you also this feeling. One by one the graphics with the CD's are full of colours or weird collage or childrenpictures. All these different styles are mixed together and they force you to listen immediately to the music. Music? 'New Hope International Review' (Vol. 17 #5 1994) says: "... contemporary experimental music very much at the cutting edge of a music lover's tolerance level". This is not something we might say. We believe that they make something on the edge of music and art. So we can say music you have got to listen to with your hart but also with your mind. Bizar, ambient alike sounds, the dada theatre 'Cabaret Voltaire' on CD. There is a little gap of 5 years between each CD, which you can hear a little. "Mothball" the oldest (?) CD is the one with softer music then the other one. What more to use words for it, just experience for yourself. (De Decker G.)

If you loved The Residents back in the '80s (and who didn't!) you'll probably really get into Mothball which contains tracks from Diledadafish from between 1987 and 1991. The similarities between these two groups' music are easily heard. Both are narrative-driven, visually-oriented avant-pop and the word "quirky" applies equally well to both. Diledadafish is more synth-driven than The Residents, however, and perhaps more prone to formal experimentation. Keep this in mind while you listen to "London Onion" and let me know if you agree. (Noah Wane)

From the land of chocolate and Martina Hingis (yum on both :) ) comes Switzerland's Diledadafish. As the name would imply, these guys have a major interest in the Dada movement, and it carries into their sound well. But what is their sound you may ask? Umm...Hmm...well, read on. Mothball leads off with "First Lady", a less-than-a-minute piece of lighthearted synth and drum machine. "London Onion" is based around a lo-fi sounding bass/drum rhythm section, sinister toy keyboards and downright evil sounding processed vocals (lyrics originally by Dada God Kurt Schwitters). "What's The Point?" is actually very close, in the sonic sense, to some of Coil's work, especially the superb Hellraiser themes. "Rearview Mirror" is some really surrealist jazz stuff...sparse electronic beats, bassy synths, and brass instrumentation. Very strange... "Une Damne Dans La Quarantaine" almost calls to mind something as conventional as synth-pop, but stripped down to the barest skeleton of structure, consisting simply of simplistic synth work. "Out of the Door" is another strange one, sounding like distant bass rhythms and plucked toy guitar, all based around cluttered, sampled dialog. The feeling of Coil returns on "In Need of Rest", which sounds like something that wouldn't have been totally out of place on their Scatology album. And we all know how good Coil is :). "The Look-Away-Core With Special Absorbency In The Front Where Boys Need It Most" is another one of the stranger tracks...robotic synth rhythms and cheesy keyboard bits, all punctuated by sampled baby noises. Total musical Dada absurdity, very good. "Mouth Hall" follows "Rearview Mirror"'s style of strange jazz, but more sparse and almost ambient. The actual "album" ends with a version of "Strangers In The Night" which, of course, is absurdist as you'd expect. All brass (or wood instruments, I really don't have a good ability to decipher instrumentation) and piano, and really weird vocals. As a bonus, three archival tracks are available on the disc, starting with 1988's "3-177/75-177". Once again, it calls to mind a more light hearted Coil, with it's dark backing sounds, more "friendly" synth, and sampled conversations. "Bombe (Inflammable)" sounds like tension filled horror movie music played on toy keyboards, thus making a great absurd statement. The final track, "Diledadafish" (from 1987) has more of a collage feel then the other tracks. Maybe akin to Nurse With Wound? In total, a very unique listen. I've heard many reviews and comments comparing Diledadafish to the Residents, so I suppose Residents fans would enjoy this. If you want to hear just how strange electronic music can get, or something like a more absurd version of Nurse With Wound or Coil, you should really get a hold of Yucca Tree (link is above) and get one. Limited to 550 copies, and comes in one of the coolest jewel boxes I've ever seen...great use of transparent sheets and such.
(Creaig Dunton)

Without doubt the most instant comparison with their sound would be THE RESIDENTS - this music has the same quirkiness and playful playtime naive Surrealism. However, they seem to take the sound so much further, through Classical references, caliope Jazz and Children's Television incidental music from the 70s (in the UK, at least). You could say this is an audio version of animated cartoons, only what the visuals to this often dark and other-worldly music would be is anyone's guess - certainly not Mickey Mouse, or at least the famous rodent as we have come to know him. Individual tracks have specific themes, but the overall effect of an entire 21 track album is of passage through a soundtrack of such mood and imagery that experienced with more than the mildest of drugs could leave you cold and alienated in a landscape so altered from 'normality', the experience could destroy your mind. Discord, not cacophonic, but semi-tonal, plays a big part here, with most of the pieces being delibaerately off-key and rhythms faultering. Human voices appear now and again, assuring us that this music originated on our planet.

In a lot of ways this reminds me of the story-telling style of the JIM JEAN cassette - although without the dialogue to guide us, we have to use our imagination to navigate our way through this land, where time has leaked through from the 1950s to well into the 21st century. It's a journey, or rather I should say a Trip, but it's left to the individual to decide where they are and just what the hell this is doing. To a seriously fractured mind, this may come across as normality, but to most of us, it's a chance to experience auditory perception from a fractured mind. This is Madness, but a Madness you can switch off at any time.
Seriously disturbed, and often wonderfully descriptive, this album is never an easy experience. Be brave and enter their world.