Milo Pony

The concept of Milo Pony came about of wanting to create an album without any preconcieved songs. Everything would be done completely out of the blue and whatever happened happened. We went into my home studio and came out a week later with a 11 song cd, with one song being done a few months earlier for a multimedia project. This is pretty much how the concept for the album came about. Milo Pony is Aaron Kotilainen, Paul Elsasser, and Dave Child.

Milo Pony was indeed an accident. Three crazy friends who have nothing better to do with their time. The Eclectic Boogaloo was created over the week with the foundations being set forth a few months earlier, in their home studio "The Congo". The Eclectic Boogaloo was created with no preconceptions of songs and no rehearsals. Instruments and samples from pawn shops, thrift stores, salvation armies. There was no overall attempt to create music. What came out however, scared and made the creators smirk with their new found prowise of music. Once the album was completed, the demo's were sent out to many people stating,"this is the craziest thing I have heard in a long time." Milo Pony has chosen to sign with a new internet start up label, Music for the Masses records (www.m4mrecordlabel.com) CD's will be offered at $5 online and distribution nationwide will begin later this year. Plans for the second Milo Pony endevour have already begun. Milo Pony has delved into multimedia production with their short music video for "indigo" which has been featured at a few film festivals, and have made people get up and leave the theatre. Milo Pony was never trying to be unique or create things for people to listen to; what did come out made people listen a little harder. Milo Pony is: Aaron Kotilainen: Voices, Samples, Guitars, Lap Steel, Accordion, Keyboards, Percussion, Engineering, Tape Loops Paul Elsasser: Voices, Samples, Guitars, Fretless Bass, Keyboards, Percussion David Child: Voices, Samples, Toy Piano, String Thingy, Belly, Cans, Soda Look for "The Eclectic Boogaloo" available online from Music for the Masses at www.m4mrecordlabel.com, around mid-May 2004.

We will play soon.

The Residents, Radiohead, The Dub Narcotic, Desert Sessions, Tom Waits, Experimentation,

Aaron Kotilainen: Voices, Samples, Guitars, Lap Steel, Accordion, Keyboards, Percussion, Engineering, Tape Loops Paul Elsasser: Voices, Samples, Guitars, Fretless Bass, Keyboards, Percussion David Child: Voices, Samples, Toy Piano, String Thingy, Belly, Cans, Soda

Please see our new review for "The Eclectic Boogaloo": e Eclectic Boogaloo. What can I say? For this being their first album, I must say Milo Pony has come out very fully realized. They certainly don't pigeonhole themselves, at least - the mind-warping opening track, "Got to Have It," is a barrage of bizarre tape-manipulated voices in the vein of The Residents' Eskimo. This segues strangely well into the next track, "Houndgrog Day," which is begins with a Steve Martin stand-up routine. Soon bright acoustic guitars and hazy male vocals appear to accompany Steve and name-drop his friend Bill Murray. Silly Milo Pony! Saying groundhogs pop up in September just so you can rhyme it with "remember." The album returns to intense weirdness on "Wonka's Lament," which warns of the dangers of having a sweet tooth. High-pitched gerbil voices prod and threaten the listener's ears mischievously. "Happiness" would be a nice happy upbeat song if it weren't for the muffled vocals comparing the title noun to "your grandma's ass." "3am X-Mas" contains some classic automated Casio keyboard beats and then some goofing off on the creators' part with some explanation of what a percussion "fill" is for. "Sloppy Jazz" has to be one of my favourite songs on this CD, for it proves that although Milo Pony is just a bunch of weirdos recording whatever comes off the top of their funked-up heads, they can still make a sweet groove and stick with it. "Milk Curtain" is just plain disturbing (yet enjoyable) and samples The Firesign Theatre. "Indigo" is another one of my faves on here. It reminds me very much of Radiohead's "Original Motion Picture Soundtrack." It also reminds me that it's time to address the amazing variety of instruments used on this album. From what I hear, on this track alone there's an organ sound, glockenspiel, and accordian along with some indecipherable speaking in the background and, of course, the singer's Thom Yorke-esque crooning. "Soilent Green" is another one that scares the hell outta me. It's very very very dig-able though, especially with the smooth bass and tambourine and bongos. And that freaky guitar too. Beautiful, just beautiful. And so comes the final track, "For Ministry Use Only." A small point here, but I have to say I really like the echo-y sound on the percussion. And the preacher in the background. And the low droning (are those monks?) voices in there too. And the "choir-boy" lead vocal. I think I like this song best actually. NO WAIT I LIKE THIS SONG BEST ACTUALLY. The bonus track, I mean. But I won't give it away. From what I know about the recording of this CD, it was done for the most part in a homemade studio. And the sound quality definitely betrays that fact. This is probably one of the best-mixed, best-mastered independent works I've ever heard. And definitely one of the weirdest. Cheers to Milo Pony! Rated: 4STARS/5