experiment: (ex·per·i·ment): function: transative verb: to play
Kid Carpet is a musician from the UK who I love to bits. His music would be categorized as “experimental,” but what does that really mean to anyone? To me they’re flat out good songs. His choice of instruments, however, is really unusual. Remember those battery-powered toy guitars made for little kids? Know those cheap Casio keyboards that you still see being unloaded at garage sales? And Furbies? This is his medium. It’s awesome.
For me, those mysteriously lonesome shoes you see lying abandoned roadside are regrettable litter. But to Kid Carpet, that’s a song. An old ad for a carpet store becomes symphonic in his toy filled orchestra.
Clip from “There’s a Shoe” -
“Bristol Carpet Factory” in entirety, because it’s too short to reasonably be able to make a clip -
Sometimes I think “experimental” is really verbal shorthand for “playful.” When children and adults play, they try new things out - they experiment. Who doesn’t like to play?
From a discussion on another blog, I had to point out one of the weirdest fragrances I’ve smelled. Comme des Garçons’ Odeur 71 is, in all honesty, a terrible perfume. By that I don’t mean it’s a bad fragrance, it’s just not “perfumey” in the manner you usually think of fragrances being.
The typewriter ribbons I smelled in Man 2 are there right on the top. Then I get a little whiff of a weirdo on a bus drinking mystery booze in a paper sack. Then a car interior that’s been freshly cleaned with Armor All and had the felt-covered bucket seats vacuumed. Tree bark. Computers. Metal knives chopping bell peppers. Wilting and limpid flowers. Finally, there is laundromat, which seems fitting given the laundry list of weirdness here. Yet the scent is not industrial or overwhelming. It’s… light but strange. I find new irregular angles in it every time I smell it. There’s some great reviews of it at Basenotes, too.
I am too young to know how Coppertone suntan lotion used to smell in its 1960s incarnation, so I can’t comment on the veracity of the fragrance Christopher Brosius is trying to recreate with CB I Hate Perfume’s Beach 1966. However, it seemed a fun arcane idea to me. Sure enough, I get a strong sensation of suntan lotion, a little sea spray, and a neat touch of the way your skin smells when brushing off that sand crust that forms on your legs after splashing in the water and then sitting back down on the sand. It’s a little goofy, and a lot perfect. (I am a big fan of goofiness in general, so that’s also a compliment, heh.)
Kid Carpet’s CD “Ideas & Oh Dears” can be ordered via either Amazon UK or as an import via Amazon US. You can also purchase the album wherever you are from iTunes. I also DEEPLY recommend you watch his video for the song “Carrier Bag.” I’ve decided it’s the best music video I’ve ever seen, and that’s saying a ton from me, because I actually OWN the Duran Duran video collection, and as we all know, Rio rules. What’s that? Oh shush up, Rio does SO rule. I refuse to acknowledge otherwise.
On a whole ‘nother note, Scentzilla was recently feature along with several other sites in Cosmetic World’s latest issue. Which? Feels awfully nifty:
Other featured sites include:
April 13th, 2006 at 1:15 am
The Wikipedia definition of Experimental music is “any music that challenges the commonly accepted notions of what music is”. To me, Experimental is just an industry name for music which they needed to classify, so your definition of it as “playful” is just as valid, and I actually like it better.
Oh, I love some terrible perfumes. I love perfume so much, I believe some perfumes aren’t even meant to be worn but just admired. Being particularly terrible has its artistic merit, too.
Congrats on another feature. You’re on the up and up–go, ‘zilla.
April 13th, 2006 at 4:13 am
Congratulations on the honourable mention. Love the blog, and check up every day (which, as you tell us you post three times a week, shows how many brain-cells I must have lost) to see what you have to say. It’s good to know there’s at least one other fan of l’Eau d’Ambre, which is one of the few scents I’ve bought a new bottle of recently! Vanille from POL.
April 13th, 2006 at 4:54 am
Hey — your own *exclusive* bottle of Sand & Sable is on its way (I want you to know they keep that locked up now, right next to the Jean Nate). Please let me know how it compares to the Beach 1966. BTW have you smelled Bobbi Brown Beach? Any similarities?
April 13th, 2006 at 8:23 am
K, The 1966 Beach is fun, but like Mr Hulots Holiday much more. Can’t say enough good things about CB’s water formula though. I’ve never liked perfume oil.
April 13th, 2006 at 9:18 am
I’m a big fan of perfume oils. If CB has them, maybe I will pay them a visit soon.
April 13th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
I love Odeur 71! Recently got a sample from Luckyscent, and have been wearing it a lot. I used to love 53 too, but haven’t worn it in 6 or 7 years. Perhaps I’ll give it a go again.
April 13th, 2006 at 1:13 pm
Ha..not only were you correct about amber perfumes, you were also correct about extracool videos. I got an sample of Ambra de Nepal, and even my picky perfumaphobe friend liked it. The Kid Carpet video was so fabo that my first grade and I watched it 3x. After, he said “Are those guys plastic bag ninjas?”
April 13th, 2006 at 2:04 pm
A million congratulations on making CW’s latest issue! You absolutely deserve it for your very cool and friendly and accessable blog……And today I am basking in the sample of Theorema you sent…it is so beautiful, like chocolate covered spiced oranges… I wanted to eat my arm this morning.
April 14th, 2006 at 9:17 am
Wow, I have never seen anything like that video. I had to watch it twice. I think they ARE the plastic bag ninjas. I will have to watch it again, more closely, I love it when they bust those moves in the background.
April 14th, 2006 at 4:14 pm
Sali, thanks. I think it’s just that “experimenal” sometimes makes it sound like the artistic products are somehow unfinished or half-baked, and it doesn’t really lend someone an idea of what they really might expect. And CB does sell some stuff as absolutes, so you may indeed have to pay him a visit.
Marissa, it’s so weird right? I am sure some people are likely off-put by that, but to me it’s delicate enough that it doesn’t fall outside the realm of “wearable.”
Nina, thanks and hullo! I didn’t know you were Vanille, neat. L’eau d’Ambre is so pretty, so simple - it’s rather relaxing to me. Good to know I’m not alone in appreciating it, too.
March - as a matter of fact, I haven’t smelled BB’s Beach and was trying to remember who made “Beach” the other day because I know when it came out it had some huge fans on the perfume boards. The Sand & Sable is surprisingly wonderful… I might write about it a little later, cause it smells like something that would cost a whole lot more than it does. My fave part of the video is the twinkly keyboards and the fluttering fingers to the sky - genius.
Robin, I *still* have not had time yet to pull out my Mr.H. On the to-do list *still*, rather than the done list. I do like perfume oils for some things, but really all I’m after is a good or interesting smell, so I am not usually too picky as long as I get that from whatever concentration.
sybil, oh I had the same thing happen! A friend who usually doesn’t like ambery or woody scents found she really really dug it, too, and that was nice. Heh - plastic bag ninjas! I really dig the matching track suits, too.
Lisa, I LURVE Theorema, and am so pouty that it’s not readily available in the States anymore at all. Pooh on Fendi for that. It’s certainly is one of the more modern scents that deserve “classic” status. Glad to hear it’s an excellent fit for you!
April 15th, 2006 at 5:04 am
Congratulations, Katie on the mention. You’re getting to be a regular media darling, darling!
I am perhaps the only person on the blogs totally clueless about the water scents and references to oil at the same time. I can live with that ;-)
April 17th, 2006 at 9:28 am
Katie — glad you liked the S&S, you’re right, it doesn’t smell cheap. I am really not sure why I like it so much, it’s stronger/sweeter than my usuals. There is just some note in there that is very nostalgic and fun.
April 17th, 2006 at 3:49 pm
Anya, thanks! (Incidently, I thought CB had an explanation about the water scents somewhere or another on his site, but I haven’t looked for it lately, so perhaps not… worth a look-see though if you’re wanting to puzzle it out?)
March, no it really doesn’t smell cheap. It’s not exactly as full smelling as I’d like it to be through the development, but I’m still sussing out how I feel about it. Thank you so much for sharing it with me!