Music that references pornography in either packaging or song titles is not an uncommon thing. It’s so common in the Noise community that there are even bands that exist largely to mock that particular trend. It’s not quite so prevalent in the DIY community though, at least not yet, so Courtney Asztalos and Michael Arcos’ choice to, ostensibly, reference an old school Karezza fetish video with The Education of my Rubber Dolly EP puts the hook in pretty deep. For a certain kind of pervert, anyway.
Bedroom proclivities aside, the music on this grey C15 is enchanting. Female vocals are nestled snugly in a nest of synthesizer and reverb that seem calculated to create just the kind of intimate, and somewhat lustful, atmosphere suggested by titles such as “Alone With You.” The album falls short of Lynchian levels of psycho-sexuality but, possibly thanks to being recorded live in a single day, it has the kind of dark and looming atmosphere that man would probably appreciate. The whole thing is a bit more Crazy Clown Time than Julee Cruise, though.
It’s noteworthy that lusty, airy, night-music on this cassette is not accompanied by images of latex clad forms as suggested by the title. Instead there is gorgeous watercolor (probably generated by the hand/brain of Lynn Fister, who runs the Watery Starve label) and the image of a girl on a leather sofa in a child’s Halloween monster mask. There is possibly something to the contrast of sexual objectification suggested by title and sinister whimsy of the imagery. The games of youth become entirely different types of play as we grow.