FREAK GENES is Andrew Anderson (Hipshakes, Proto Idiot) and Charlie Murphy (Red Cords, Murph & The Gazorpos) and this is one of my favorite projects the two have done. I think Charlie heads over to Manchester from Falmouth, and these two incredibly prolific songwriters bash out hits together for this particular project. This here is a premiere for the first Freak Genes video “Negative Shape” off of their Alien Snatch Records debut, Playtime. The tune is stark and minimal in a way that reminds me of Mekons or Swell Maps, but Freak Genes incorporate the melodicism of Buzzcocks and the work done previously in their other bands, and then puts it all into a blender. That is to say Freak Genes are still catchy and fun, but it’s a little more minimal and experimental than their other projects, with nods to post-punk minimalism and more angular sounding new wave. I LOVE IT! I hope this band releases 100 different singles, EPS, and compliation tracks on 100 different labels ala Thee Headcoats or Black Time.
Here’s the appropriately grumpy new Freak Genes video premiere for “Negative Shape”.
