Roddy Bottum, keyboardist for Faith No More and member of Imperial Teen, CRICKETS and Man on Man, started a new single series near the end of July and has been releasing music daily ever since. The singles are all free on Bandcamp, but any donations go to The Okra Project, which is a charity that works to provide free, healthy home-cooked meals for Black Trans people.
Bottum called this series a casual thing, and on his Bandcamp bio said it was part of a vow to share more. As a personal challenge, he’s been writing and recording the songs as the series comes along. So far, only the most recent one, “DOES IT HURT 08-12,” was recorded on a different day than it was released.
I miss you people. I’m starting a daily music share on my bandcamp account. it’s real casual but here’s track one. LOVE YOUS. https://t.co/XNkiaeZ6Be
— Roddy Bottum (@roddybottum) July 26, 2020
Most of the songs are solo instrumental keyboard compositions, largely drawing from rave influences, summery pop and atmospheric melodies, often with eerie themes. Many are combinations of those influences. A couple of the songs do have vocals, including dark trance track, “COKE ON THE MIRROR 08-12” and self-proclaimed summer jam, “TAKE IT BACK TAKE IT BACK 08-07,” which also features Bottum’s boyfriend Joey Holman, the other half of Man on Man.
Rave-influenced:
Summer pop:
Atmospheric:
Bottom and Holman’s new Man on Man project has only released one single so far, “Daddy,” which released earlier this year as a “celebration of love in isolation.” The video for that celebration ended up getting banned from YouTube for a sexual content violation. Also out even earlier this year was the debut single for CRICKETS, “Drilled Two Holes.” CRICKETS is Bottum’s collaboration with members of MEN and Le Tigre.
Photo credit: Raymond Flotat