Music Review:
Robert Lloyd Anderson’s Idolitry and Wet

Reviewed by Jim Drew
Originally published in the Seattle Men in Leather newsletter
(June 2003)
Robert Lloyd Anderson’s Idolitry   Robert Lloyd Anderson’s Wet

When it comes to sex music, some men want a driving, pounding, industrial beat not too far from what you hear in a dance club.  Others swear by custom mixes of 80s bands like Depeche Mode, and there is even something to be said for the sweet dreamy tones of Patsy Cline.

Myself, I like sex music with more of a trance feel, even with some jazz touches to give a little variation and lighten the ambient tone.  For a long time, I thought that the ultimate example of this type of music was Angelo Badalementi’s soundtrack album for David Lynch’s television show Twin Peaks.  With its dark, moody melodies offset by effervescent touches, Twin Peaks has long been at the head of my list of Desert Island Discs, and has often been featured in my play.  But at IML in 2002, courtesy of Mephisto Leathers, I found an artist whose work had so much of the flavor of Badalamenti that I had to buy both his CDs: Robert Lloyd Anderson.

The first album, Idolitry, is built around images of forced sexual activity.  The album has some definite hard edges, just a touch of that “industrial” tone.

With the second album’s title, Wet, it’s easy to guess one fetish activity it may inspire.  But beyond that, Wet is more subtle than the first album, with more ebb and flow to the music, more moody depth, giving a different feel to the music.

Anderson’s works beat out Badalamenti’s for a couple reasons.  Foremost is that I am putting them to the use for which they are intended: sex.  Also, while the albums are broken up into tracks, there is a sense of progression to each one, that the entire album works as a single entity rather than discreet three to four minute chunks.  That is something Badalamenti can’t achieve within the constraints of commercial soundtrack albums.

You can buy both there albums and his brand new release, Trial by Fire, at http://www.bestboymusic.com.  Sample tracks from each album available there.  Turn it up loud and just fill the room with these great sounds… whether you are having sex to them or not.

[Addendum: since this review was published, a fourth Anderson album  has come out, Earthbound.]

 
 

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