This is a tricky blighter to pin down. SUBTLE are a shadowy sextet who hail from San Francisco's Bay Area formed around two core members known as Doseone and Jel (well, they would be, wouldn't they?). The former was once a prime mover in the now-defunct, but equally bizarre cLOUDDEAD as well as being a fully-fledged solo artist and svengali figure to Buck 65 in his spare time.
None of which is much use in preparing you for the 'what the fuck was that about?' aspect of "F.K.O", which - delicate reader - allegedly stands for "Fuck Kelly Osborne". Er, intriguing. I think. Anyway, it's something of a hybrid of styles, probably best described as weirdo beatnik poetry rapped by speeding otters over floaty trip-hop. Hope that clears it up for you.
Actually, this isn't such a bad thing. Musically, the interludes are quite pastoral and the two remixes they've thrown in for good measure are excellent. The B.Fleischmann mix is considerably less manic with lonely piano interjections. It reminds a little of Tortoise's equally enigmatic "DJed" in this form, which is probably a good thing. The Console mix, by comparison, is fragile, gentle and dubby with a distinct modern Kraut leaning akin to a more propulsive Pole. Actually, it's probably the best thing here, despite its' apparent shyness.
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"F.K.O" is surely worth a listen in any of its' three quite separate forms. Stylistically it's more slippery than a barrel of eels and gives precious few clues to what forthcoming album "A New White" will sound like. Fair enough, especially if you enjoy this sort of fragmentary intrigue. What the hieroglyphics mean in the wider scheme of things is anyone's guess, though, and what it has to do with Kelly Osborne beats me. Still, the thought of Oz hearing the title and wanting to sue is amusing. You can see it now can't you: "Ere, Sharrun, what the fuck's 'e on about....where's the chorus, loike?"
How about "F.B.S" (Felch Britney Spears) the next time, lads?
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