Big Sir Issue #30

Und Die Schiebbe Andert Sich Immer (Cold Standard Laboratories)

By Crystal Nicholson
Published: December 1st, 2006 | 12:00am

On Und Die Schiebbe Andert Sich Immer, Big Sir mixes soulful grooves with smooth electronica, creating a tempered experiment of computer melodies and sonic vibrations. Juan Alderete (bassist for the Mars Volta) and vocalist Lisa Papineau (Air, M83) have created an album full of electronified funk and easy-listening programmed rock with guest appearances by Beastie Boys’ Money Mark and the Mars Volta’s Adrian Gonzales.  

Though Und Die is smoother and more accessible than the Mars Volta, Alderete brought with him Volta’s affinity for domineering bass lines and musical surprise. Big Sir’s exotic electronica strongly echoes Thievery Corporation, but Papineau’s Dido-esque vocals bring an airiness to the composition, adding the power to soothe your blood flow and melt your mind. 

Und Die flows together consistently yet avoids repetition. With the robotic groove of “Rejoice the Rig” or on the mad clap of “Saticoy Street,” Big Sir produces a retarded funk, as if they slowed down Earth, Wind, & Fire melodies and melded them on a hard drive. But on the unsettling “Jigga Bells” or with the manic video-game bass line of “Cause That Shit’s Too Evil (and She’s Just a Gangsta Bitch),” Alderete brings in the rapid-fire chaos of Mars Volta noise rock.  

The Mars Volta members have produced side projects that arguably outclass their original band, and Big Sir is no exception. The eerie fluency of the album leaves one question lingering: Did Big Sir master the electronics or did the electronics master Big Sir?