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"Hot in the Airport"
Y. Bhekhirst

The tape case is almost completely free of contact information. There's a PO box for the record company, but no artist info. No phone number, no Website or e-mail address (the tape apparently dates back to 1986, so this is not surprising), no fan club information. Somewhat mysterious, to be sure, but once you put the tape in and listen to the music, you'll understand why. It's not so much out of disdain for the listeners, but out of fear that they'll be so angry that they'll come looking for the singer, demanding his head.

That is, if you can CALL it singing. It's more like off-key warbling with some unknown accent. Slavic? Scandinavian? Or did the guy just get punched in the mouth? Nobody knows. Nobody wants to know.

The music is also frightening. Sometimes it seems halfway competent, as in the title track to the album. Sometimes it just sounds like the musicians are still tuning up as the song begins. Some songs are 4 minutes or 5 minutes long. The last song on the tape, "Everytime I" (sic), clocks in at a mind-numbing 6:55.

Who is Y. Bhekhirst? Who is H. Diaz (credited with co-writing the music and words)? Did these guys ever put out a follow-up? Why does every copy of this tape have the title track underlined in blue ball-point pen... on the plastic case itself, rather than on the insert or on the shrinkwrap? These are all questions that should probably not be asked, because one suspects the answers would cause more pain than the bliss of not knowing any more than we already do.

At any rate, someone (or something) thought this was good enough to put out into the world, and the least we can do is share it with you. Enjoy.

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