A small handful of records in and DAN FRIEL, he formerly of PARTS AND LABOR, has very firmly ensconced himself as a solo performer in the American music underground. Noisy as hell electronic beat music is his calling card and therefore when I think of the music he is making I also think of the likes of the great BLACK DICE in their current and more recent form. This is music made with absolutely not the latest technology, that nevertheless has an awesome handle on beat oriented experimental music of the moment. I’m talking electronic noise music made in a hip-hop infused world. A world with melodies winding around every column of noise, and of course big bass. Just plain crusty electronic fun. It’s the kind of music that brings together many of my disparate musical loves, and does so with a real understanding of all of them.  Dan’s new album is called TOTAL FOLKLORE and the always heady THRILL JOCKEY has released it. “Velocipede” from the new album is below. It’s a miasma of bubbling and popping synth melodies and fuzz coated bump and grind, some kind of DAFT PUNK track that has forgotten where it was going. Crescendos that splatter against the wall with a noisy thud. I love this album. Buy it on vinyl. Play it loud. Have a dance party to THIS.