The Folk Implosion's musical contributions associated with the 1995 film Kids are part of one of the more unlikely success stories in indie rock history. Begun as a shaggy lo-fi side project in 1993 by
Sebadoh's
Lou Barlow and Boston singer/songwriter
John Davis,
the Folk Implosion were a relatively unassuming entity when excitable screenwriter and superfan
Harmony Korine implored them to create the music for a film he was working on. Bankrolled by both a major motion picture studio and a major label, the duo entered the recording booth with more financial freedom to explore than ever before, and branched out into new territory of unmoored improvisation and stylistic shape-shifting. While
Barlow and
Davis taking a hard turn away from their rough-edged indie rock for late-night grooves and sultry instrumentals was surprising, nothing was more surprising than the sleeper hit the sessions produced with "Natural One," which spent time on the Top 40 radio charts in early 1996.
Music for KIDS is separate from the 1995
Kids Soundtrack album, and focuses solely on the music
the Folk Implosion made for the film, much of which was previously unreleased. While some of
Barlow's signature fuzz still creeps into the red-lined drums of "Nothing Gonna Stop" or the faux-punk blasting of "Daddy Never Understood," the music is largely focused on space and restraint. There are hints of trip-hop and dub throughout, with "Wet Stuff" sounding like a nod to both
Massive Attack and
the RZA's loop-heavy beats and the bass-led "Crash" recalling
P.I.L.'s metallic, reggae-influenced rhythmic sensibilities. "Jenny's Theme" is a muted wash of post-punk and post-rock, with similarities to fellow
Kids Soundtrack contributors
Slint.
The Folk Implosion strike gold when they really dial their instrumentation back, as with the verified hit "Natural One," but also with the subdued and hypnotic "Insinuation" and the spare but dynamic interlude "Park Dub."
Music for KIDS also includes a pair of remixes by some of the bigger names of the mid-'90s in big beat electronica, with an even more streamlined take on "Natural One" by
UNKLE and a
Dust Brothers remix of "Insinuation" that's not too far removed from the original. While some of these experiments are aimless or outright silly, hearing the entire body of work as an uninterrupted collection gives a better sense of the creative freedom the group were enjoying as they had free reign over a studio and untold resources to see where their imaginations could take them. ~ Fred Thomas