Altered Zones

As a kid, I once attended an awkward family reunion for an awkward family I didn't belong to. I escaped most of it in my motel room, where I caught an episode of Phil Thomas Katt's public access show, The Uncharted Zone. Phil's thick Southern accent, heavy breathing, and all-around enthusiastic demeanor made me wildly uncomfortable; the use of chroma keying was cheap and frequent. It was obvious this aging outsider was desperate for his work to catch on and become something bigger than it was.

But I kept watching like one watches a car accident and eventually started enjoying it for its kitsch factor. The music was often smooth, but unreadable. The other few artists featured were completely detached from any kind of movement-- almost-predecessors to what we now call chillwave. No one had ever heard of them before, or will ever hear them again. And that helped me slip into some hypnagogic state where I could forget about my social obligations to this family that was not mine.

Phil has a new album out, Declawed, that compiles memories as songs of his '80s in Pensacola, FL. It's true nostalgia from someone who was actually there. Through warmly processed vocals and suave synth hooks, "Competition" invites the listener to "rock" with Phil, close to Phil. This could finally be his time. --Ian Pearson, Altered Zones via Cats Purring

Phil Thomas Katt: "Competition"

Declawed is available on CD ONLY via Mr. Phil Thomas Katt himself