This is a dungeon synth split featuring Fernmage of Eugene, OR, and Hot Dog Cart, of parts unknown, or at least parts difficult to Google.  I’m told it’s the second collaboration between the two projects, and its name is Moss Wiener.  You know I love to word vomit background information, but how much more do you really need to know in order to get down with the concept?  Honestly, that’s also as much as I know, but hey, we’re gonna dive right into this one and go full stream of consciousness, one take.  Bone slap the beef.

Fernmage’s side of the split is up first, and opening track “Overall Pleasant Mouthfeel” wastes no time getting down to business with a jaunty melody, Casio-inspired drum beats and a vintage set of blips and bleeps that does a wonderful job of showcasing their brand of “Pond Worship Fantasy Synth.”  It’s quite relaxing, all things considered, although I find myself wondering about when that hot dog flavor is going to rear its head.  This is like that first tentative bite when you just get bun, overflow condiments and a little kiss of the tip of the actual wiener itself.  I’ll say this, though: with song titles like “You’re Telling Me a Shrimp Fried This Rice,” “Sloppy Jeaux” and “Does the Corndog Die,” it’s very clear that Fernmage is embracing the lighthearted nature of this collaboration.  “Whimsical” is the word I would use to primarily describe what I’m hearing on their half of the split, and it really does feel like a perfect half-way point between high fantasy and, well, a hot dog cart on a New York City street.  Honestly, it’s The Adventure Zone music, and that’s a pretty high compliment coming from me.  Each track does have its own distinct feel to it, with some more percussion heavy, some having more chimes and bells, some more melodic and some actually getting into the darker, heavier territory you’d expect from trve dvngeon synth.  I’m really pleased that this is extremely chill, and moreover, it’s really good even beyond the goof of it all.

“Lunchtime” opens Hot Dog Cart’s side of the split; one thing I do know about Hot Dog Cart is that they record everything live, which I think is so incredibly cool, especially for a synth project.  The tonal shift is palpable, but not in a way that clashes with Fernmage’s side.  Rather, it feels like we’re finally getting into the meat of the album.  Equally meditative in nature, Hot Dog Cart embraces, predictably, a more lo-fi production than their mates, but the songs are no less effective.  I mean this as a true compliment: these songs sound like they are built layer by layer, by one person and totally live.  A truly impressive feat, especially because there are layers to tracks like “Condiments, pt. 3” and “Please Don’t Take the Trays.”  “The Longest Line (not the NOFX Song)” sticks out as by far the darkest and most dungeon synth-y song on the album, broken only slightly by the weird samples of laughing and shouting that probably have something to do with hot dogs, if only I could discern where they came from.  “Condiments pt. 3” sticks out too, except this time because it’s a brief early 2000’s-esque dance interlude before closer “Don’t Take the Trays,” which goes back to the PS1 era Final Fantasy soundtrack type shit Hot Dog Cart is on.  Again, I say that as just about the Medal of Honor in terms of accolades I can reward an album with.  This whole release is very, very cool from start to finish, and I am genuinely surprised at how much I am enjoying this beyond how hilarious the concept is.

Angela and I were literally just talking the other day about how we could fuck up some hot dogs, and then this release drops into my lap?  As the great Dr. Tobias Funke once said, “Universe, you’ve done it again!”  Now to fix that actual, for real hunger that has popped up in my belly from thinking about hot dogs for the last 45 minutes or so.  And maybe give Moss Wiener another spin while I do so.

— Ian

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Moss Wiener is available now on Fiadh Productions.  For more information on Fernmage and Hot Dog Cart, visit their respective Instagram pages.