1-Speed Bike

Aidan Girt likes to hide behind a pseudonym. Last year it was Bottlescup Flenkenmike, but he has returned to his earlier moniker of 1-Speed Bike for his latest release, El Gallito. As most people have discovered by now, just because Girt is also the drummer for Godspeed You! Black Emperor there is absolutely no comparison between the two bands, and El Gallito only serves to heighten the distinction. The EP continues Girt’s journey into frantic break beats and percussive experimentation that can be exhausting to listen to. His previous releases have also been dominated by a wealth of peculiar and funny "lyrics” that kept things from simply being a showcase in drum programming. Unfortunately only the first track, "There’s An Oil Tanker Named Condoleeza Rice,” features any kind of human voice, reducing the number of laughs on offer (although the song titles are kind of amusing). El Gallito is at its most enjoyable when Girt splices samples through the frenetic drum & bass (as on "Bleeched Bumbaclot Warning”), but the length of the EP stops it from ever getting too tedious. Fans of Aphex Twin will definitely find something of interest here.