DANG - THAT MAN IS A LIZARD
DANG is the multimedia creative outlet for artist Alex Benson. Benson's output consists of animated cartoons and music, often combining all three for a fully bespoke experience. His creative works feed off each other as the rather ignorant got-in style melds well with the kinetic, grainy animation.
Benson's music is an odd blend of garage rock, alt and 1930s cartoon theme songs. The combination of the two creates an ultra-surrealist soundscape that feels warm and welcoming, thanks to the heavy static and fuzz that drench the release. The curious style Benson has also made me feel on edge, as it's dirty static sounds almost like a forgotten propaganda cartoon made by the US to warn people of the red scourge, or in this case, lizard people. Throughout That Man Is a Lizard, there are frequent references to classic media, such as Ghostbusters on 'Lizard Patrol'. Despite the overwhelming comedic approach Benson takes, the title track shows a key for riff work and hooks that shouldn't be understated. Course guitars lead the charge with a lower body swagger that feels right out of a western. There's an exquisite use of layered vocal takes and on-the-nose conversational snippets that show brilliant thought and, surprisingly, align Benson with MF Doom, whose similar focus on old cartoons also gave him unique attributes. When we reach 'Lizard Dome', this similarity between Benton and Doom becomes much more apparent as new characters are introduced and the conversation between these protagonists takes centre stage.
Impressively, Benson comes in presses versus courses solo's bridge isn't away, barely a 2-minute track. An extension of the source material would be fantastic. Still, this very small, self-contained artistic piece demonstrates an understanding of his Time constraints and a brutally critical eye for what is necessary. I also find Bensons' unorthodox sample library quite playful at times. The drums can range from sounding like an early 90s boombap hip-hop track to music concrete experiments, and all the way to Twilight Zone horror. It's a characteristic of Benson's music and his art that many more artists should take inspiration from. Benson has his own sound and style, and although it may not be mass-marketable in its current form, it adds charm and energy to everything he produces.
Label: DANG.ZONE (2026)
DANG - THAT MAN IS A LIZARD
