Flanafi is Simon Martinez, and Ape School is Michael Johnson (Martinez's one-time professor). Their collaboration is a collection of mildly wigged-out laptop pop musings. Martinez generally provides the structure, and Johnson adds in the "melting" (their word).

Flanfi with Ape School The Knees Start to Go (Boiled Records)

Very much of a piece with the world of Rob Crow, although the trippy production takes this to another realm altogether. Martinez's songs are intriguing, and the Johnson's denaturing both obscures and illuminates. I don't know how "normal" Martinez's compositions, but here they are rendered into unique forms.

Best listened to with an expansive mind. These songs don't exist on our plane, so it's necessary to find points of connection. The generally mellow, lo-fi feel is deceiving. There is a lot of activity behind the shifting scrim.

An intriguing set. I kept following the twisting lines into themselves, and eventually I found another path altogether. This is active listening at its finest. I'd follow this into any realm.

Jon Worley