Venetian Snares

The edge of madness

There is often a fine line between genius and insanity. Both sides of the spectrum constantly toiling for dominance. Aaron Funk, known more commonly as Venetian Snares, has forsaken this psychological battle entirely, choosing instead to fully embrace the best (and worst) characteristics of both sides.

As one of the premier names in electronic breakcore music, Funk has composed a massive discography (21 albums since 1998), the lion's share of it imagined, devised and performed by him alone. The music that comes from this man's head is some of the most complex and creative music I have come across.

It is, however, very difficult to write about the music of Venetian Snares primarily due to the fact that I actually dislike most of the songs he has released. His discography is a veritable minefield of insane, unlistenable and frankly terrifying tracks that it seems no one in their right mind would ever want to hear. His style is often abrasive and his album and song titles can be dubious in nature. But sprinkled into that giant mess are some gems that truly shed light on this man's talent and dedication to his craft.

One of Venetian Snares' most ambitious, and probably most accessible, albums is 2005's Rossz Csillag Alatt Született. In Hungarian, Rossz Csillag Alatt Született translates to "Born Under a Bad Star". The album, inspired by a previous visit to Hungary, combines traditional orchestral compositions with Funk's shattering break beats. Compared to his previous body of work, this album was truly a departure from Funk's previous electronic-only releases.

The fifth song on the album, Hajnal, opens with terse staccato strings including samples from Niccolò Paganini's 7th Caprice in A minor. Piano and horns enter as the song progresses leading into a short, jazzy break. A return to the opening theme puts the song on an inevitable collision course with Venetian Snares' signature drill-and-bass attack. Elegant Baroque strings coexist with relentless, skittering beats and diverse electronic samples.

Editor's Note: If you really want to hear the intricacies of each recording I recommend skipping the videos and clicking the link for high quality audio below each one.




(For better audio click here: Hajnal.mp3)

Now, I completely understand if I've lost some of you already. This style of music is not for everyone. It took me a while to wrap my head around it, but I think that aspect is what I find most attractive about it. More traditional electronic music relies on simple themes and sections repeating over and over, while Funk's music is meticulously crafted and wholly unique from one bar to the next. Your brain is constantly at work trying to analyze what you just heard but the sounds change so quickly it forces you to completely release and just absorb it as it comes. This is not background music.

For me, a great deal of Venetian Snares' albums are complete throwaways. Some may have a good track or two but cannot be listened to in their entirety. If you are interested in hearing more from him, I'll save you the trouble of wading through the entire catalog.

Aside from Rossz Csillag Alatt Született also check out its 2007 follow up release My Downfall (Original Soundtrack). Don't be fooled by the title, there is no film involved. Instead, it is meant to be the soundtrack to Aaron Funk's figurative "downfall". My Downfall carries on in the style of its predecessor mixing classical instruments with spastic breakbeats. Here is my favorite track from this album, Integraation.



(For better audio click here: Integraation.mp3)

For more "traditional" Venetian Snares, try The Chocolate Wheelchair Album. The fourth track, "Einstein-Rosen Bridge", is probably my favorite of all of his songs. It is a bit more structured and has a great beat.



(For better audio click here: Einstein-Rosen Bridge.mp3)

Another good starter album is 2006's Cavalcade of Glee and Dadaist Happy Hardcore Pom Poms (yes that is the title, I told you this guy embraces his insanity). One of my favorites from this release is the third track "Pwntendo". This one is for all of you who played too much NES as a kid. Funk incorporates some nostalgic 8-bit sound samples too good effect.



(For better audio click here: Pwntendo.mp3)

If you want to delve deeper into the complex world of Venetian Snares, here are some links that will start you down the rabbit hole:

Venetian Snares on MySpace
Venetian Snares on Facebook
Venetian Snares on Last.fm
Venetian Snares on lala.com

You can also access all of the over 200 Venetian Snares songs that I have in my iTunes library by downloading Simplify Media and sending an invite to my screen name, "steveklay". Explore at your own risk.