Dispepsi Review
Anybody feel like a Pepsi? I sure don’t! Not just because of this album, but because I don’t like soda, or carbonated drinks in general(well, except for Orangina). It always baffles me, how is it that people enjoy soda so much? Negativland, an Arizona-based plunderphonics band, knew the answer and gave it to us in the form of the 1997 album, Dispepsi.
For those who don’t know, plunderphonics is a form of sound collage in which the track is composed of recognisable audio recordings and songs, such as vocal announcements and narration from radio shows and educational programs, field recordings, interviews and news reports. Negativland is one of the more infamous examples, known for getting into a legal battle with U2 and their record label as well as making up a controversy that one of their songs, “Christianity Is Stupid” caused a murder with their album “Helter Stupid”. They’re still around today, with their latest work being a documentary about the band.
In the case of Dispepsi, they sample soda advertisements, news announcements, motivational tapes for advertisers, PSAs, the OJ Simpson trial, talk shows, documentaries, and a whole lot more to make a commentary on the soda industry. Starting with “The Smile You Can’t Hide” opens with a soda can being opened, beginning the album. A man hopes the will reflect on Pepsi-Cola well before the focus shifts to samples from commercials, interviews with advertisers on advertising advice, and Michael Jackson’s statement on allegations of sexual abuse towards him. This sets the stage for the two kinds of songs you’ll hear on the album.
On one hand, there are tracks that use direct recordings for their commentary, which is what plunderphonics is all about. “Why Is This Commercial?” and “A Most Successful Formula” is about the use of celebrities for commercials to sell a product, with Michael Jackson and Ricardo Montalbán being prominent examples. “Hyper Real”, “All She Called About and “I Believed It’s L” make fun of New Coke, with the latter portraying Pepsi attracting Coca-Cola drinkers to Pepsi using side-by-side blind taste tests. “Voice Inside My Head” is probably the weirdest one where some lady keeps thinking about “Pepsi, Pepsi, need a Pepsi”, and then it ends with her considering Mountain Dew…which is owned by Pepsi. Also, she mentions beating up queers, which was quite a shock.
Each of these tracks utilise synths and drums that can be very playful, as well as using repetition to push messages and provoke intrigue. Utilising samples from Pepsi commercials after many spoken word parts allows us to perceive the brand differently. Comedic moments are also abound, such as when Donald Keough, COO of The Coca-Cola Company, talks about what changing Coke is like, some voice quietly “what?!”s. But of course, this will not be all you’ll be hearing throughout the album. “I Believe It’s L” is my personal favourite out of the entire album.
On the other hand, there are what people would call “actual songs”, which lampoon Pepsi and commercialism in general. The first one we hear is “Drink It Up”, a jingle which makes fun of how there are so many other drinks but Pepsi is considered “the choice”. The anthemic “Happy Hero” is very clearly about Michael Jackson, his career, and the allegations toward him, noting how the public was quick to defend him and later forgot about the allegations. “The Greatest Taste Around” features it’s first clips from the film “Mommie Dearest” while singing about odd smells and shocking acts juxtaposed with “Pepsi!”. The final track in this style is “Aluminum or Glass: The Memo”, which is a very surreal take on how advertisers plan their ads and their look.
These tracks are a showcase of Negativland’s production skills, mixing their use of synths and samples with a vocalist. “Happy Hero” is the best of them all, humorously censoring an instance of the F-word like “fu****ck”. But the one part that really got to me was the ending, which sounded like the singer getting shot while the audience screams in horror. As we hear the crowd panic, it seems to slowly turns into murmurs. For me, my personal favourite is “Drink It Up”, with it’s cheesy remarks on every other drink that exists.
Now, there are two tracks I didn’t mention. “Humanitarian Effort” is more of an interlude, one where some guy claims Coca-Cola introduced New Coke to stop Mexican police from fizzing Coca-Cola up their prisoner’s noses.
But the second one is the last one: “Bite Back”. I believe this is the most important track on the album. Not the best, not my favourite, but the most important track. This is a track that critiques the growth of a conglomerate, which is a company that owns companies. Think of companies like Disney, Amazon, and of course, Pepsi.
Throughout the clip, we hear a man talk what a conglomerate wants while another man discusses boycotting conglomerates to make companies stop growing, which is presented as an impossible feat. Throughout the track, you’ll hear a clip from Mommie Dearest, a pretty bad movie about Joan Crawford from the perspective of her daughter, who remembers her as abusive and cruel. Specifically, they use a clip where Joan is meeting with the board of directors who want her to resign, so she threatens to slander Pepsi if she doesn’t keep her seat.
The album ends with on a somber note with an interview, where the interviewee to “put ’em on with a big piece of tape”, to which the interviewer agrees. The sound of a can getting crushed and tossed finalises the deal. Also, if you play the first track again, another can of Pepsi opens, looping the album.
Now, what does all of this prove? Well, Dispepsi doesn’t prove anything that we may already know about the soda and entertainment industries, but it proves that experimental music isn’t always so harsh. Using memorable samples, satirical takes, and sporadic chords, it allows room for relaxation. The production is just as incredible, not only using a lot of panning to take advantage of stereo, but to create memorable effects like at the end of “All She Called About”.
Dispepsi is an album that challenges the false consciousness that we all have about brand loyalty, advertising, and celebrity culture. The songs may be a bit cheesy to some, but the sound collages are especially interesting with the number of real voice clips made to show us the problems with the soda industry. This is a good introduction to anyone who is interested in avant-garde and experimental music. Even if you’re not, it’s an intriguing album based on the production and the topic alone, mainly because it’s like a documentary in audio form. You may know a lot about what they’re saying, but the way you experience it will be unlike anything you’ve heard before, and that is why I give it my recommendation.
Check out the documentary trailer!: https://boingboing.net/2022/10/13/stand-by-for-failure-a-new-negativland-documentary.html
