Synthetic Fibers

Synthetic Fibers is an instrumental keyboard group by Noby Nobriga and Rusty Spell. Probably their most "serious" band (they are also in 'nikcuS and many other bands), they create every genre of instrumental music.

see 'nikcuS, The Mnemonic Devices, Rusty Spell, The Immaculate Conceptions, Robert Brenton, The Naked Donnas, The Strawberry Explosion, Gospel Assembly

Information: 'nikcuS Productions
Suggested First Purchase: The Album

The Album (1994) -- Noby Nobriga and Rusty Spell's Synthetic Fibers, the first "spinoff" of the band 'nikcuS, focuses on instrumental keyboard music, making the music a more serious endeavor even when being musically goofy (e.g. "Banjoven"). Their first album is a pretty solid and ever-changing one, showing off their ability to hop from style to style within the narrow genre of instrumentals. With "Logo," they create a THX-like theme; "Metallix" and "News Real" are dance numbers, "Afraikain" is world music by guest artist Kevin Young; "A.D. 93" is a cover of 'nikcuS's quintessential 80s pop song; "SYG" is rap music (minus the rap) in the vein of future 'nikcuS Productions act DNS; "Swinigin's Wake" is a Celtic piece of new age; "Piano Melody (with drum solo)" demonstrates that the leaders of 'nikcuS Productions are drummers after all; "Leggo My Bolero" is a Ravel tribute; "Melanie's Smile" is a music box number; "Banjoven" is a pardody of classical music, a la PDQ Bach; "Hero's Theme" is a classical/movie soundtrack piece; "The Living" is a slow groove; "Senor Fiberos" is a Spanish music version of their theme "Synthetic Fibers (The Song)"; "On the Back of a Dog" is a piece of instrumental goofiness; "Badal" is a tribute to Angelo Badalamenti; "The Prayer at Gethsemane" is a representational piece; and "I Win!" is a game show theme. I normally don't review albums for this long, but I thought the best review of this album would be to go song-by-song and show the range. I like it all. Enjoyable. B

Not The Album (1997) -- Synthetic Fibers collected stray songs from 1991-1993 and combined them with newer songs from 1997. The overall effect is more loose, but the old songs are essential, especially "Synthetic Fibers (The Song)" and "Synthetic Fibers (The Song) '93" which is their oft-created theme. The new songs are good, too, and the songs on this entire album expand their instrumental genres to include theme songs, horror score, 70s and 50s rock, circus and carnival music, and cartoon music. B

The New Album (2000) -- Because this began as songs from The Noby Nobriga Project (a solo project Nobriga had been working on since 1994 which he was never satisfied with), the sound here is more focused than the scattered music of the previous two albums. This one has a solid, darker feel and uses samples of historical sound bites (and titles) to give the listener a feeling that he is listening to an album about history, technology, geography, and most of all love (a somewhat odd mix that works). B