Maxipad Detention

Creepy, funny Otto Von Schirach's first release for Mike Patton's Ipecac Recordings is exactly what one would expect from the frequent Skinny Puppy collaborator: a messy, syncopated freak show of weird drill'n'bass. The album is a handpicked collection of tracks Patton chose from a pile of demos Von Schirach supplied, and though it seems from the start that Patton favored wacky samples, voices, and rhythms, he also offers up a healthy dose of Von Schirach's instrumental side. "T********g the Dead" is classic Von Schirach comedy-horror. It is equal parts Ministry machine-gun dynamics, funky dance beats, and comedic samples. Its most common refrain is a funny or disturbing vocal that urges profanely that women in clubs shake certain orifices. "Alligator Waltz" is a more dignified but still violent blend of warlike beats, squelched guitar samples, bizarre Tinkertoy effects, and a vocal sample that sounds like the humming of a dying angel. There's similar humor to be found throughout the album, but there's also more straightforward drum'n'bass that apes Aphex Twin at his peak. While it's debatable whether these AFX-like numbers miss the mark in a 2006 effort, they still show Von Schirach to be a fine electronic craftsman. Ultimately, Maxipad Detention is more successful when its presents Von Schirach's tweaked-out, insulting side, and a little bit less circa-1992 Aphex-aping would have made for a stronger whole. Still, there's enough weirdness on display to appreciate Von Schirach's warped master plan.