Genre: Acid Jazz / Noise / Experimental

01 La Dolce Vita
02 Only For Lovers
03 Revolver & Starlette
04 Hush Hush
05 Desperate Lovers
06 Come Quando Fuori Piove
07 Black Dalia (Sayonara)
08 Club Privè
09 Strip Poker
10 Under My Skin
11 Crime Scene Or Love Scene
12 Love Is A Mad Dog From Hell .

I hadn’t encountered M.M.M., or any of the associated side projects until I slid this disc into my player and cranked the volume. At first I was rather taken aback, this was swiftly replaced by a feeling of bemusement which itself soon morphed into a wry grin, then a beaming smile. Strange reactions true, but justified here. Why? Allow to me explain. My initial background check on M.M.M. led to the impression that was going to be a Noise release. While not exactly untrue, the fact of the matter is that the majority of La Dolce Vita is Jazz based, which came as something of a shock as it shredded through all my preconceptions. .

The overall theme here is, as stated, heavily Jazz based and influenced. Muted trumpets, sax solos and vocal loops create an atmosphere of languid calm with their down tempo groove and the whole vibe is relaxed, almost blissfully so in places. But all is not as it would appear. The serenity is often subverted with shrieking scribbles of high frequency distortion, lurking in the background before lunging forward and overwhelming all that lies before them. The track Only For Lovers is a fine example of how this is used to great effect, the chilled ambeince of saxophone and trumpet lulls us into a false sense of calm before a screeching mass of distortion sweeps in, its harsh discordance in stark contrast to the rest of the track. .

Notable exceptions to the Jazz style are also present here, Hush Hush is reminiscent of The Cramps at their guitar rattling best, and despite being almost overwhelmed by the vocals Come Quando Fuori Piove is a slow paced, melancholic piece. Track ten, Under My Skin effortlessly blends together harsh noise and Frank Sinatra. I kid you not, Frank Sinatra. The fusion of the two styles manages to somehow turn the Sinatra classic into something sinister, generating a real air of malice into the proceedings. .

As the album progresses it gets increasingly more noise afflicted. The Jazzy sensibilities are still in place, but are increasingly overwhelmed by the distortion of the vocal track and the crunch of jagged synth lines, but never to the extent that it degenerates into a wall of discord. Subtlety and restraint are exercised to ensure that the underlying theme is always present..

Have piqued your curiosity yet? If not, head on over to the Butchers House page at myspace and browse through the sample tracks there. Unusual, quirky, and strangely soothing.

La Dolce Vita is described on the spine of the jewel case as Bizarre Cocktail Music, which totally and completely sums it up. As a concept it really shouldn’t work, but it does, the whole album is a testament to how the combination of genres and styles that shouldn’t mix can actually result in something that is greater than the sum of its parts. Although not the sort of thing I’m likely to play over and over, I’m really quite enamoured by this album at the moment. Perfect music for the time of year, a soundtrack for the early summer months, best served chilled.