Doll Parts ‘Carnival At Sea’

Doll Parts were a Colorado trio comprised of three Architect’s Office ex-members, namely Lynn Ablondi, Rick Corrigan and Chafe Chunk. After moving to San Francisco (in 1988?) they released their first cassette and then their first LP, 1988’s ‘Carnival At Sea’ on San Francisco’s Subelectrick Records, ran by Brook Hinton. The latter had planned to release Stan Brakhage’s movie Faust III on videotape, a film to which Architect’s Office Joel Haertling also collaborated. A still from this experimental film made it to the cover of Carnival. Finally, in 1990, Doll Parts self-released another cassette, ‘FireDrum Playsong’, apparently their last release. After Subelectrick changed it’s name to The Subelectrick Institute, several Big City Orchestra cassettes and CDs were released, including the ‘Four Cassettes of the Apocalypse’ CD in 1991.  A The Haters video was also planned but apparently never came out (‘Violence Without Confrontation’, live footage). Above information is from a 1988 No Other Radio show with Brook Hinton, BCO and The Haters, available here, and from a Don Campau’s 1989 No Pigeonhole show. Hinton occasionally played with BCO – see his official website.

Carnival at Sea is a whirlwind of strange synth loops, found sounds and New-wave songs turned into a surrealistic cabaret, like a Legendary Pink Dots album without the dull tracks. Fantastic keyboard sounds and avantgarde poetry brought back from the fun fair sometimes evoke a ‘Lady in the Radiator’ played at double speed. Indeed, many cinematographic references pop up here and there, not only in the Nino Rota reprise (‘Juliet of the Spirits’), but also in narratives and grotesque vocals. Various female and male vocals contribute to the feeling of a drama with multiple characters. The few acoustic instruments included (flute, Gu zheng and French horn) add up to the strangeness of this remarkable disc.

Doll Parts ‘Carnival At Sea’
01 Puppet Masters Revenge (3:21)
02 La Buveuse (5:35)
03 Night-Time Trip To The Elephant Graveyard (2:15)
04 Mustang Nevada (3:28)
05 Bill The Human Aquarium (6:05)
06 Overture To Juliet Of The Spirits (2:05)
07 Carnival Raga (1:57)
08 The Fall (2:06)
09 Poppitts (4:20)
10 Brian And Flappy (2:08)
11 For The Love Of Money (1:17)
12 I Marvel (5:41)

Total time 40:10
LP released by Subelectrick, USA, 1988

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Subelectrick/Subelectrick Institute discography (tbc):

• Doll Parts ‘Carnival at Sea’ LP, 1988
• Brook Hinton
  ‘Perfections’, SEI cassette
  ‘Parental Discretion’, SEI cassette
  ‘Many Are Chilled But Few Are Frozen’, SEI cassette, 1988
  ‘The Child’s Garden of Noise’
• Big City Orchestra
  ‘Mind Of Evil’ cassette, 1987
  ‘Gateway Of Fruit Loops’ cassette, 1986
  ‘The Four Cassettes Of The Apocalypse’, CD, 1991
• Various: ‘9×12 – Revolution #9’ compilation
• King’s House (?)