Description
The Lost Recipe collects Aloha Screwdriver’s vinyl-only EPs, along with six new tracks, for a CD that captures their fuzzed-out, unrelenting energy better than any release yet.
Hailing from the island city of Alameda, California, you’d think this instrumental trio would be a textbook study in traditional surf music. Instead, they’ve made a seemingly deliberate effort to avoid the genre’s forms at every turn. Drums and bass take a front seat, with parts that rarely sit still. The overdriven, staccato picked picked guitar lines hold down gritty, primitive melodies without the indulgent solos expected of the genre.
Fans of Link Wray, Man or Astro-Man?, or Agent Orange’s instrumental surf punk will appreciate the threads that tie them all to The Lost Recipe. But that can’t explain some of the wildcard songs, including two tunes from the ‘80s skateboard arcade game 720°. Or what’s with the instrumental cover of Le Temps De L’Amour by the moody ‘60s French songstress Françoise Hardy? Or the high-octane spaghetti western sound of Above Snakes?
However you classify it, The Lost Recipe by Aloha Screwdriver stands apart as a unique collection of hard-hitting songs pulled from inexplicable influences. If you’re looking for relaxing summertime background music, look somewhere else. If you need pump-up music for a high-speed car chase or jumping out of an airplane, then you’ve come to the right place.
Artwork by Josh Ellingson. Recording by Brad McGowan at Little Red Wagon studios in Fremont, CA.
Price includes shipping.
