“MAN BITES DOG,” femtanyl’s debut album, is another addition to the internet’s niche section of EDM music. The digital hardcore sound isn’t for everyone, but it offers a lot to unpack for its short run time.
Released on Feb. 13, the 10-track album launched after the duo’s appearance on Danny Brown’s album “Stardust,” collaboration with ISSBROKIE and two extended plays, “CHASER” and “REACTOR.”
The opening track, “BODY THE PISTOL,” released on Dec. 5 as a single, starts the album off strong with a fast tempo and erratic noises.
There’s a good reason why this track is the first on the set list. It sets the tone that this album is one to bang your head to.
Despite its sharp sound, it presents lyricism that has meaning in relation to the identities of femtanyl’s two members, Noelle Stockwood and Juno Callender.
The next track, “VIDEO NASTY,” takes a dip in tempo and speed, but still keeps that same energy as “BODY THE PISTOL.”
The track also incorporates a sample chop of screaming as part of the instrumental alongside lyrics that delve into self-harm and anger over what’s happening in the world.
“SICK OF IT”, the third track, leans into techno instrumentals to complement the loud bass, guitar and choppy vocals.
The fourth track, “HELLTARGET,” makes a similar change to transition from track to track. Only this time, the track makes you feel like you’re having a psychedelic experience with overlapping instrumentals, seen in trance music.
“CITY” reintroduces the techno sound from “SICK OF IT,” but at a higher tempo. The track starts with a sample from “Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation.”
I would describe this track as video game “boss music,” but with the addition of some samples and Stockwood’s vocal chops.
“HEAD UP” is another pre-release single from the album initially released to streaming on Jan. 30, hitting the album’s halfway point.
Like “CITY,” this track has the same energy as a video game soundtrack, something like Hyper Potions’ work for the “Sonic the Hedgehog” franchise but elevated in every way. This quality follows into the next track as well.
Track seven, “MY HEAD HURTS,” opens with a sample from the horror movie “Sleepaway Camp.” This track brings up discussions on how people shouldn’t be forced into identities they don’t align with.
The album ups the ante with the eighth track, “SHOWS YOU THE WAY TO THE HIWAY.” Some cutesy jingles are complemented by the heavy bass.
The lyrics have the same tone as other tracks before it, diving into topics of self-harm, using the highway as a metaphor and serving as a nod to “Bodies” by Drowning Pool at the start of the track.
The ninth track, “MAN BITES DOG,” doubles as the album’s title track. It represents the album very well in style and lyrics.
The title of the track and album comes from a 1992 mockumentary of the same name, a connection Stockwood confirmed. This also explains the previous horror samples.
The album closes with “IS THIS IT”, the longest track by a narrow margin of nine seconds. It ends the album off strong, leaning the track more into its EDM roots.
With that in mind, “IS THIS IT” can be compared to tracks from the likes of Virtual Self, a music project by Porter Robinson, as well as Ninajirachi.
The album is an enjoyable listening experience if you want to get a small perspective of a unique sound within the LGBTQ+ and experimental online circles — a combo that is niche in nature — using sounds that are familiar yet used in a different fashion, appealing to a portion of millennials and Gen Z.
This certainly isn’t an album everyone will gravitate towards. For people who do, this album will give them all they could want in a femtanyl album and more.
