'Look To This', the elusive 1982 release by Doo-Dooettes, stands as a curious artifact from the fringes of the early ’80s American underground. Issued as a private pressing on the Solid Eye label, the record emerged from the orbit of the Los Angeles Free Music Society, a loose and prolific network of artists operating in Los Angeles who embraced lo-fi production, irreverence, and total creative freedom. Like many LAFMS-related releases, the album feels less like a polished statement and more like a snapshot of a moment -raw, strange, and defiantly unconcerned with convention.
The record drifts between fragments of pop structure and bursts of chaotic experimentation. Hints of melody and rhythm surface briefly, only to be interrupted or reshaped by tape manipulation, found sounds, and a playful sense of absurdity that keeps everything slightly off balance. This constant push and pull -between something almost familiar and something entirely unhinged- gives the album its peculiar charm. At times it brushes against the spirit of no wave; elsewhere it leans into collage and musique concrète, never settling long enough to be easily defined.
What makes the album particularly compelling is how it reflects the ethos of its scene. The Doo-Dooettes weren’t aiming for mass appeal or even coherence in a traditional sense; instead, they were part of a broader conversation about what music could be when stripped of industry expectations. The rough edges, abrupt transitions, and flashes of randomness feel deliberate, forming a quiet rejection of polish in favor of immediacy and experimentation.
Over the years, the record has remained a collector’s curiosity, circulating mainly among those drawn to underground and outsider music. Beyond its rarity, 'Look To This' offers a vivid glimpse into a creative community that thrived on limitation and unpredictability, capturing a moment when making music meant pushing boundaries simply because they were there.
Label:
The Solid Eye – A1, Los Angeles Free Music Society – L.A.F.M.S.#14
Format:
Vinyl, LP
Country:
US
Released:
1982
Style:
Art Rock, Modern Classical, Experimental, Free Improvisation, Free Jazz, Jazz-Rock
Tracklist:
A1 Zombie
A2 I Got Right To Sing The Blu
A3 The Flying Eyes
A4 Baby
A5 Bird And Bee Orchestra
B1 Schlagerzeit (Tolstoy's Anemic)
B2 Dr. Phibes Visits Chicago
B3 Scrapyard
B4 Red Wrec. Said
B5 That Latin
B6 Yurei
Notes:
Elaborations:
A1 - this is the music from an Italian film entitled "Zombie", this version is the 'Ettes testimonial to horror.
A2 - recorded live on KCRW, Los Angeles; 3AM, April 4, 1982, on Brent Wilcox's "FRGK" program.
A3 - this is an excerpt from a longer piece, presented here is the first ten minutes; no overdubs or edits.
A4 - no comment.
A5 - environment created live entirely by mouth and limb.
B1 - this piece grew out of an annoying song Dennis used to play incessantly whenever he encountered a piano, by recording it in the studio and making it a big number we hoped we would cure him of the habit. It worked.
B2 - after working on "Zombie" in the studio and dealing with all that structure, we had to flex our improving muscles. "Dr. Phibes" was the result. If you listen carefully you can hear him speak as he arrives in town.
B3 - a condensation of 20 minute piece down to about three. A random sampling with flavor enhancers by Tom.
B4 - excerpt of a piece used by Doug Henry in his film of the same name. Title courtesy Doug.
B5 - our version of "Nights in the Gardens of Spain"?
B6 - is not listed on the cover or labels, only on the insert. this tracks starts at the end of the side and run into the lock groove.
Recorded at The Sound Chamber in November 1981 except track A2 which was recorded at KCRW Radio, Los Angeles.
Mastered at Kendun. Pressing by KM.
Thanks to Kevin Laffey, Erling and Dagmar Nilsen, Dave Nold, Jan Paulhus, Paul Sanoian, Tom Potts, Mark Takeuchi and LAFMS.
Includes single-sided 11.5" square insert with credits.
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