The Wow Demos 1 is a two-CD set bringing together, as its titles suggest, demo recordings made just before The Residents 2013 Wonder of Weird tour- which saw the project stripping down to a three-piece. The CD set features twenty-three tracks in all and sees the project doing often fairly radical re-takes on classic and album tracks from throughout their career.

The release appears on klanggalerie, who along with Cherry Red records are one of the key labels that release the work of this long-running avant pop collective. The two CD’s come presented in a glossy & colourful six-panel gatefold- which features pictures of the three-piece dressed in their stage get up for the WOW shows. We have the singing Rez in a bald/ long hair at the sides old man mask, and the other two members in chicken & dog masks- with all three wearing red Santa suits.  

As the word demo suggests these twenty-three tracks are (I’m presuming) studio-recorded takes on what would be played live, so many of them don’t feature any vocals, or just lose vocal traces. Though that said each of the tracks is fully developed and realized in their instrumental settings, and structural layout, so there are no vague sonic drawings here.

As we’ve come to expect from The Residents when they are either re-visiting their own work or doing cover versions- they drastically change/ reinvent tracks. So thankful none of the new versions of old tracks here sound anywhere near bland or tired re-runs. With each been creative and inventive revisits- be that be instrumental, pace-wise, or by introducing new/ different genre touches/ major shifts. And that’s what makes a collection like this so worthy and often rewardingly surprising.

On the first disc, we find eleven tracks- and these go from the grand and dramatic synth string swoon meets set eastern promise ambience, lo-key stabbing electro beat moments, and on midway sounds of “Double Shot”- which originally appeared on 1988’s God In Three Person album.  Onto the wavering horn tones and jaunting keys of “Teddy” ( from 1993 EP Prelude To The Teds) which later features a scorching guitar solo. Through to the eerier vibe, cut and hazed vocal sample, and boldly dramatic organ and guitar tones of “The Whispering Boys”- from 2005’s Animal Lover album.

On the second disc we, of course, find the remaining twelve tracks- and once again the disc is a varied, and often surprising ride back through the projects back catalogue. We kick off with bounding and layered slightly glitching keys opening of “David’s Dick” which as it goes on adds in American Indian like charting & wondering surf-to-seared synth guitar texturing.  There’s the ttolling wonky keys meets sinister drifting gamelan percussion of “My Brother Paul” ( from 2003 Demons Dance Alone ) which also features creepy close to the mike vocals and dramatic synth string detail. We have the stark & chillingly looped guitar tones, broodily stabbing synth bass, and jaunting string moodiness of “The Mam In The Dark Sedan”- which originally appeared on Snakefingers(the projects former guitarist) solo album Greener Postures from 1980.

The Wonder of Weird was the last tour to feature Hardy Fox, one of the key minds/ songwriters behind the Residents. And this two-disc set certainly highlights both his skills as a (re) arranger and creative genre jugging player. He also appears, with his wavering and weak, though oddly haunting singing voice on the last few tracks of the CD- which as a long term Rez fan almost had me tearing up.

In finishing The Wow Demos 1 a great snapshot of The Residents at this point in their career- and as always both their creativity and sonic dare shines through so brightly. It’s great to see this collection surface, and I look forward to the other releases in this series. Head by here to score a copy direct, before they're all gone!