The new album by Tweaker aka. Chris Vrenna, The Attraction to All Things Uncertain (Six Degrees Records) from Tune Raider, is released September 18th. Meet Elliot featuring the elusive David Sylvian.
Not content with providing a special remix of U2’s “Elevation”, for the Tomb Raider soundtrack, Chris Vrenna, the former drummer and programmer for Nine Inch Nails has written and produced the Tweaker album, The Attraction to All Things Uncertain, an account of virtual everyman, Elliot and his own anxious and dislocated journey through life.
He’s on his own, a little bit scared, and doing just fine.
Inspired by a Joe Sorren painting entitled ‘Elliot’s Attraction to All Things Uncertain’ (which appears as the album’s cover) The Attraction To … is perhaps conceptually in the same vein as Radiohead’s Kid A, and OK Computer. The album is said to offer us a story of ‘disillusionment’ and ‘post-disillusionment’ — an ‘identity on the skids’. Early spins of the album here in the Crud office suggest that this album is hot, hot, hot with a capital OUCH! An album that effortlessly curls from the minuate of electronica to the eruptive heights of guitar mania. I said you’d go OUCH!
But Dissillusionment? Post-disillutionment? I guess that means no songs about all-singing, all-dancing penguins then …
In view of the above, it is then hardly surprising to learn that Chris Vrenna is no stranger to collosal sonic concepts such as The Attraction To … , having only recently penned the original music to ELECTRONIC ART’S Alice in Wonderland-themed video game, AMERICAN MCGEES ALICE. USA TODAY called the album “gorgeous and creepy”. And who would dare to argue? Sampling from a variety of defunct children’s toys and games, Vrenna’s creation takes us through the mysterious, otherworldly soundscapes of Lewis Carroll’s eerie fantasyland, giving us a slightly skewed, alternate take on the rather conventional and unremarkable story of Alice.
Playing the role of ELLIOTT on the new album and breathing life into his character are guest vocalists, DAVID SYLVIAN, Shudder to Think’s CRAIG WEDREN, and Will Oldham. DJ SWAMP even lends his scratching talents to the record on “Turned”.
And to think it all started with the painting on the cover of the album.
Chris Vrenna’s credits are pretty impossible to believe: DAVID BOWIE, SMASHING PUMPKINS, MARILYN MANSON, GREEN DAY, WALLFLOWERS and even SNOOP DOG.
In one month alone, Chris provided U2 with their “Elevation (Tomb Raider Mix)” for the summer blockbuster Tomb Raider, and provided remixes for Nelly Furtado, Weezer and Poe. In addition, he produced the recent album for Cold, whose CD is nearing gold status.
The 50-minute EP of “Linoleum” the first single from Tweaker, features remixes of the David Sylvian track from Josh Wink, Wamdue Project, King Britt, Teargas & Plate Glass and Paul Leary of the Butthole Surfers, along with rare non-LP tracks. The 12″ vinyl contains remixes from Josh Wink, Wamdue Project and King Britt.
Alan Sargeant for Crud Magazine