Hot Bodi Gram

(Dischord, 1989)

This will remain on of the most enigmatic and mysterious records of all time in the emo-core-genre. Both on musical as well as on lyrical level, Soulside hit upon new grounds and managed a few steps into sofar unchartered territory, where many after them went into but never quite grasped the landscape. But let’s do this step by step. This is the third full length recorded by Soulside and if anyone out there is able to provide me with a copy of the very first (the one before “Trigger”) please let me know – I’d pay a lot of money for that. The story of the band ended soon afterwards. The three musicians of the band went on to form the remarkably successful Girls against boys (later on also New Wet Kojak), while singer Bobby Sullivan tried his luck in various, more funk- and groove-oriented outfits called Sevens (or 777) and Rain Like The Sound Of Trains. Then, in 1989 these were actually four young people growing slowly out of teenager-dom but surely not yet grown-up. If you are older than 25 you’ll remember that time, when the world seemed wide open and laid out for you to conquer, explore and make your own. When everything seemed possible and there were still a lot of mysteries to explore. If you are younger than 25, wait some more years and you will understand what I am talking about.

This juvenile mysticism might have helped a lot at what was to become the mystery of “Hot Bodi Gram”. As far as I can judge, they went along completely guided by intuition and gut-feelings, adding connotations and sounds here and there as they went along. The product was an impeccable rooster of intravening songs, that meander through their own dynamics and groove without hesitation. I always wondered where the groove in these songs came from, since all the ingredients seem to point in another direction. Mangled harmonies, cut-up guitar riffs, intermediate drumming and pounding bass in all directions sound more like free-form guitar noise, but these are perfectly fitting songs with a groove and a uniting structure that your tummy and heart will feel and understand right from the beginning. Okay, so maybe I am overdoing it right here, because musically the drum and bass do a lot to keep things together, but this is the way I remember this record impressing me. Moreover, there is the question of lyrics. The record starts off with these words: “This is God City, this is love parade, this is Mr. Fuckers last rites / There are no names, there is no pain, these walls have been pissed on, the train is leaving.” (From “God City”) repeated over and over. And it doesn’t get much clearer from there on. For instance from “Punch the geek”: “Punch the geek ego speaks, boys fun needs boys gun, no need to aim I’m right here.” I had the impression that this song was somehow about violent bullying in school, but how would I ever know. I remember sitting, listening and puzzling over these words until I knew the record by heart and still hadn’t understand anything. Songtitles like “Newfastfucky”, admiration of Patsy Cline and citations like “Less talk of word from god: horse, of course” helped to heighten the confusion.

All the songs, the fast, forward driven one, as well as those with subdued beats and strange dynamics still stand on their own as the best “emo” ever recorded, long before that term started to exist. There are the slow burners like “Newslowfucky” that have quite unconceivable structure though they seem simple at first, but try playing along to them. And there are the churning, popping faster ones like “Hatemusic” where you wonder when the strings will break. “Hot Bodi Gram” still makes spin around the room and sing along. If you can’t understand that it is your own fault. Up to now I find it impossible to single out one song as highlight or not. You’ll have to gobble up this one as a whole and you will. I wonder how this record would strike me nowadays, being a different person than oh so many years ago.

What was recorded then in march 1989 in Holland and produced by Dischord-mate Eli Janney, who would accompany bandmembers in a lot of years to come, might be the undetected blueprint to hundreds and thousands of emo-records that are still being printed. You won’t ever really know anything about your Hot Water Musics and friends if you never even listened to this here. It took me at least a dozen listenings to grow really warm to “Hot Bodi Gram” but just one glimpse to know that I had to get into that record. I’d advise you to get the discography-CD released on Dischord a few years later (which doesn’t have that first LP as well…)

I will leave you here with a few words from “Hatemusic” to ponder over: “rocks don’t sweat, neither does skin, nailed to my chair, so I don’t float away, make me watch that kiss, I’m content with no problem, I never asked for a problem.”