Hipster-Free Singles Club Vol. 1: East Meets West Liner Notes

If the Hipster-Free Singles Club, with regard to this earliest incarnation or later installments, achieves any measure of success at all, let it be known that little (if any) of the responsibility for its triumph rests on my shoulders. If I've done anything right, it is simply that I managed to choose wisely. And even that is pushing it.

For this premiere edition, the selection of players was almost too easy. Upon their recent introduction to the nerdy music meta-community, chippy-guitar poppers I Fight Dragons became almost instantaneously embroiled in a mock feud with like-minded J-rockers Hidari. Under the pretense that they were somehow vying for the same piece of thematic real-estate, IFD's Brian and Hidari's Justin lobbed laughable insults back and forth via MySpace, much to the delight of both their fanbases. And since it was obvious that this playful dispute was merely a humorous cover for the bands' mutual appreciation, pairing them up was as simple as connecting the dots. 

With those two principle players in place, my next task was to find someone capable of mashing a pair of their charming, engaging and vaguely geeky songs into a still cohesive whole. My first instinct was to approach my friend and regular collaborator, that uber talented ninja from the north, Snake Eyes with this task, and he was more than happy to oblige. This resulting remix is even better than I anticipated, and caps off this project as the obligatory b-side.

With the musical duties assigned, I looked for a visual artist to put a proper face on the project. When I checked out the work of 7415 Comics' Dave "The Knave" White, who I had fortuitously discovered at just this time via Twitter, I was taken by his distinctive blend of American underground and Japanese manga styles.  Given the international flavor of this volume, he was really the only man for the job. Thankfully, he too was more than willing to pitch in. Dave's addition and his amazing grasp of the true nature of this collaboration not only allowed the project to completely gel, but managed to further invigorate me and all the participants. 

So if you find yourself grooving to these songs whilst admiring their related images, I simply ask that you share the love and spread the word about the parties involved. All have ample selections of their respective art available, so be sure to explore them all in turn. The Internet is a veritable smorgasbord of content, and often its buffet style can prove intimidating, nigh immeasurable. But hopefully the Hipster-Free Singles Club can whet your appetite by exposing you to artists in properly calculated doses.

This is a singles collection, but it's also a sampler platter. 

--Z.
June 3, 2009

Hipster-Free Singles Club Vol. 1: East Meets West 

Track 1: Hidari – "ChocolaTommy"
Originally available on Hidari's 2009 release Wine and Chocolate. 
http://hidaridesu.com/

Track 2: I Fight Dragons – "The Faster the Treadmill..."
Originally available on I Fight Dragons' 2009 EP release Cool is Just a Number.
http://www.ifightdragons.com/

Track 3: Snake Eyes – "Chocolate Treadmill"
An exclusive remix created for HFSCv1. 
http://snake-eyes.ca/

Visual design, layout and additional awesomeness provided by Dave "The Knave" White
http://www.7415comics.com/

For more information on the Hipster-Free Singles Club or to inquire about participating in forthcoming editions, check out the blog at http://www.hipsterplease.com or contact Z. at hipsterplease@gmail.com.