Probably nothing is more apt than the title of Fantasy Treasury’s latest, 2 Weird 4 World. But that’s all the more reason to dive into it head-first. This experimental music is simultaneously an assault on the senses and a study in empty space. It’s not the kind of thing I listen to much, but that’s what it makes it so compelling.
It might be better to think of these songs as sound collages, but that’s not quite right either. This thrumming, pulsating knot of sound and emotion and energy feels as if Fantasy Treasury composed a familiar and accessible melody, added a lot of flourishes around that structure — and then deleted the main track. 2 Weird 4 World is characterized by grasping and frustration and a yearning to connect — and never quite getting there, but it’s self-contained all the same.
It’s difficult to comment on any one song in particular precisely because of their ever-shifting nature. Lyrics and samples and hooks flit back and forth, fading to the background before rushing to the front again. But every now and then we get some fleeting meaning-making: lyrics that revolve around isolation, homophobia, and racism. Fantasy Treasury shows us a world that is cold and hostile, with fleeting moments of synergy — and even beauty — if you wait it out long enough.