The Polish Ambassador.

= 4 stars

One cool thing about blogging is finding neat stuff I wouldn’t have on my own. I had just read about electronica musician The Polish Ambassador on Tunequest, when the Ambassador himself contacted me, wondering I’d like to review his new CD, Diplomatic Immunity. Naturally, I said yes.

The electronic / synthesizer vibe proved to be a welcome change of pace from my usual aural diet of cynical guitars and cute French babes. The main reason to admire Diplomatic Immunity is its retro groove. This isn’t brain-pounding techno or oppressive beats – there’s a fun levity and sense of humor, evocative of the eighties – cute video game music like Mr. Do, Zelda, and Metroid. Much of my childhood was spent (literally) in smoky arcades blasted by synthesized blips and bleeps, calling to my pocketful of quarters.

The songs have whimsical, futuristic titles like Cryovaced Space Noodles Break. Longer tracks alternate with shorter “breaks,” each seemingly food-inspired. I’m reminded of the acts between Ms. Pac Man levels, due to the fruit-chasing. My favorite tunes are the New Order-y Earth Versus The World, video game-esque Robot Motivation, and the atmostpheric Steamed Shrimp Break.

My only complaint is some songs are too short – I’d like to hear more experimentation and variety. Amoeba Party sports several sections that contrast in funny ways; I’d enjoy more of that.

But these are minor quibbles. Diplomatic Immunity is awesome computer work music – perfect for madly coding ActionScript and optimizing images with headphones on before a deadline. It’s pleasant enough that it fades in the background but with enough nice blippy spikes to keep my brain stimulated. Plus, the more I listen to it, the more I discover. I’ve decided The Polish Ambassador should write a new theme song for The IT Crowd.

Lastly, you got to dig the Polish Ambassador persona with the blue and yellow sci-fi jumpsuit. He always sports shades, even while wearing nothing but blue and yellow underwear.

Here’s a groovy video.

And as an added bonus, Diplomatic Immunity is available in iTunes so you can pick the tracks you like and go from there.

Additional Reading: The Polish Ambassador, Tunequest

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Categories: Music :: ::

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