Ed. Note: This is a reprint of the original review from Cerberus Issue #21. This is in conjunction with TMT’s Favorite Labels of the Decade, in which Stunned was highlighted.
The first Stunned[s][z] of 2011 arrive and at the top o’ the pile happens to be the work of label proprietor Phil French. Alongside kindred visionary William Giacchi, the duo form the Voltron known as Super Minerals. The versatile twosome has worked brilliance before, but The Hoax proves a different animal: a venomous, rabid beast rather than the soft, purring creature that once rested at our feet. But the ferocious bite takes a bit to break the skin, slowing gnawing at the flesh with apprehensive fangs, though its robotic bark is impossible to ignore. The Hoax doesn’t go for the gusto (loud for loud’s sake). Rather, it’s a careful transition from the more melodic tendencies of French and Giacchi into mutant electronics and stubborn static. But honestly, the cassette’s title does much of the summation for us: the fangs are plastic, the bark pre-recorded, and the froth is merely shaving cream. That doesn’t make The Hoax any less transcendent, just more playful. French and Giacchi stretch their limits and though not as lush as past SM material, it holds its own against the pair’s output. It’s time to get in on the joke before you become the butt of the joke.