Very little should be said of Pepe Deluxé here, mostly because I know pretty much nothing about them other than their recent signing to Asthmatic Kitty. Maybe I'll dig into them at a later time, but this is more a story about technology and science than it is about arts and entertainment. More about the green wedge of your Trivial Pursuit hex and less about the pink wedge. Sorry, pink wedge.
Long story short: the largest musical instrument on the entire planet is located underground in Luray, Virginia. A four-manual organ triggers hundreds of rubber mallets trained on the same number of stalactites that have been filed to perfect pitch using precision tube oscillators. The original organ (all 42,000 square feet) was completed in 1957 by a man named Leland Sprinkle, but fell into disrepair and remained silent for decades as it underwent massive renovation. I've had recurring dreams about this organ since I first saw it as (oddly enough) a cave- AND organ-obsessed little boy. I even named my hamster Leland Sprinkle, and developed most of my world-views while watching him chew cedar and shit splinters.
Earlier this year, Mr. Pepe Deluxé (actually two people) had the unique opportunity to exploit the newly repaired and retuned Great Stalacpipe Organ, composing, performing, and recording the very first piece of original music written specifically for the instrument. The composition will be included on their upcoming full-length in January 2012, featuring a handful of other songs recorded completely above-ground and having nothing to do with the greatest instrument known to man. Fortunately, the organ plays beautifully and resonates with tone colors I've not heard anywhere before. Unfortunately, in my admittedly ass-backwards and mostly emotionally unstable opinion, Mr. Deluxé have failed at presenting a piece of music as unique as the instrument itself, instead opting for a slight, two-minute slice of faceless hymnal they've criminally named "In The Cave." Honestly, I don't hate the piece, but I was hoping for something less pop and more pioneering. Less pinkwedge-core and more greenwedge-core. Decide for yourself below:
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