A Rummage In The Trunk # 1

Penfold Plum - Blim Blom
Penfold Plum - Cute Toy

I wasn’t really sure what to write about today, and knowing how easy it is to get overly precious about these things I decided to have a rummage around in an old trunk of CD’s that I never ever listen to. I made a promise to myself that whatever I pulled out I would write about, even if it was something that my ownership of would bring shame upon me and my family. I lucked out this time, as the first CD my grabbing hands grabbed was the ‘Scribbled I Infant’ EP by Penfold Plum, released on Wichita Recordings in 2001. I don’t remember how I acquired this, and can’t recall ever having listened to it. I probably had a cursory flick through before condemning it to the trunk. Foolish boy.

This is a nifty EP of crunchy electronics, and a bit of internet research tells me it’s the handiwork of a guy called Tom Hill, who also used to be one half of Wauvenfold. It looks as if this is the only Penfold Plum release, but his My Space page has got some more music to listen to and download, and reveals him to be a man with a skewed sense of humour, rather than a po-faced chin stroker. Tom says, “If people take it too seriously, they won’t get it. I want people to enjoy what I do, even if they don’t particularly like it. I never wanna become a scratchy beard kind of act where electronica fans just try to figure out what software I’m using. I wanna smack people in the ears and and maybe show someone who doesn't like electronic music why I do.” Here to clout you about the lugholes is the short but ever so sweet ‘Blim Blom’ with it’s silly vocal and the really rather brilliant melodic plink plonk of ‘Cute Toy’. I’m definitely going to go back for a rummage in that trunk again. It’s a bit like digging for musical treasure, and today I unearthed a gem.

Penfold Plum at My Space

Joe.