Freaks. There is a certain type of people afraid of freaks. People who would walk other side of the street and trying not to catch eye contact. There are more extreme examples as well. People who would keep all freaks in closed areas. People who would like to get rid of all of the freaks.
Then there is different type. People who associates themselves with freaks and they're trying to get as freaky as they can. Tattoos on eyeballs, fake horns, snake tongues, etc. Doesn't matter how but we were always fascinated with freaks.
Let's go back in time a hundred years. Where you could find freaks? Well, in circus. There were animal tamers, acrobats and clowns in circus. But also other, strange company. Lady with beard. Freak. Toddler with four legs. Freak. Gentleman with massive moustache and muscles big enough to lift couple of town hustlers. Freak. Gypsy clairvoyant. Freak. Girl who eats stones. Freak. Living magnet grandpa with cutlery attracted to his chest. Freak.
After each show team was partying to release the stress, to relax, within their own company. There was loads of alcohol, rolled cigarettes, music by the circus orchestra so with loads of brass, drums, cymbals. As the band was jumble of different nationalities so the music also was strange. Freaky.
Belly Hole Freak is a superfreak indeed. Mixing old dirty blues with dixie, early swing, bluegrass and latin folk. As his inspirations he lists Howlin' Wolf, Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band or Tom Waits. And you can truly find these artists behind his music. But Belly Hole adds to these sounds something even more melancholic, more theatrical, more intriguing and... freaky? Just by the titles of the songs we might have an idea what we'll get here. "Freexiland", "Elastic Fantastic", "Voodoo Soup Monkey", "Vaudeville". Vaudeville is quite good thread as even if it's hard to believe, Belly Hole Freak is a one man band. Sounds like it's a hundred piece big band without a conductor but it's just him. That's definitely a live act to see. Follow his Facebook to check when his van (I know, it should be caravan) will visit your hometown.
Album "Superfreak" was released as a digital and as a vinyl by Black vagina Records in 2015. It was repressed this year by Skronk Records. I love the front cover. Gives all the atmosphere of freaky circus. I also love the back cover. I like the weight and quality of black record itself as well. I don't like it's labels though. They're just plain, it's a pity but a small disadvantage to whole. And whole is great. Dirty, messy, chaotic, noisy and simply brilliant!
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