Gizmodgery
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Gizmodgery
| type = Album
| artist = Self
| cover = Self Gizmodgery Front.jpg
| alt =
| released = September 5, 2000
April 25, 2001 (Japan)
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio = Bennett House (Franklin)
Matt's Old House (Murfreesboro)
| genre = {{hlist|Indie pop|alternative rock|new wave|power pop}}
| length = 42:11
| label = Spongebath
| producer = Matt Mahaffey
| prev_title = Brunch
| prev_year = 1999
| next_title = Self Goes Shopping
| next_year = 2000
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Gizmodgery
| type = studio
| single1 = Trunk Fulla Amps
| single1date = February 2001
}}
}}
Gizmodgery is the fourth studio album by American pop rock band Self, released on September 5, 2000, by Spongebath Records. Recorded entirely with toy instruments, its music was written and composed by lead member Matt Mahaffey, with the band's other members contributing to select songs. The album received positive reviews from critics, discussing its unique production and playful energy. Commercially, Gizmodgery sold 10,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number nine on CMJ's Alternative Radio Airplay chart. The album was distributed on vinyl through El Camino Media in 2015.
Background
In 1995, Self was given the cover page of an issue of Virtually Alternative after the release of the project's debut album Subliminal Plastic Motives. Within the magazine, lead member Matt Mahaffey spoke about wanting to create an album solely with toy instruments,{{cite web |last=Harkey|first=Scott|url=https://silentuproar.com/interviews/3/self/|title=Self / Interviews|website=Silent Uproar|language=en|date=September 11, 2000|accessdate=December 24, 2024}} a concept last attempted by Pianosaurus' in their 1987 album Groovy Neighborhood. He was additionally inspired by The Moog Cookbook and At Home with the Groovebox (1999),{{cite web |last=Jenkins|first=Tony|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/5919085/self?pageid=rs.Artistcage&pageregion=triple3|title=Self Find Pop Magic in Toy Box|website=Rolling Stone|language=en|date=December 9, 2000|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050310125244/https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/5919085/self?pageid=rs.Artistcage&pageregion=triple3|archive-date=March 10, 2005|accessdate=January 13, 2025}} Matt's older brother, Mike Mahaffey, later bought musical toys for his children, which sparked Matt to purchase more through eBay and begin developing the toy album.{{cite magazine |last=Hall|first=Rashaun|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zxEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44|title=They're Playing My Song|magazine=Billboard|volume=112|issue=44|pages=44|date=October 28, 2000|access-date=December 24, 2024}}
Production
Mahaffey recorded his instruments with a condenser microphone, later equalizing the audio with Pro Tools to fix abundant mid-range frequencies.{{cite web |last=Botchick|first=Cheryl|url=http://cmj.com/features/self.php|title=SELF: Regression Therapy|website=CMJ|language=en|date=November 8, 2000|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010211202200/http://cmj.com/features/self.php|archive-date=February 11, 2001|accessdate=December 24, 2024}} The songs "5 Alive", "Pattycake", and "Hi, My Name's Cindy" were additionally created using Logic Pro. Complications arose from this, as Mahaffey had to manually recreate the tracks with hundreds of separate files in Pro Tools to mix the songs. The files for "Hi, My Name's Cindy" were lost during this process, leading the song's final version to be a rough mix.
{{Listen
| filename = What a Fool Believes Self Chorus.ogg
| title = "What a Fool Believes"
| description = A 26-second sample of "What a Fool Believes" by Self, where parts of the first pre-chorus and chorus are heard.
| pos = left
}}
Self was proposed by Count Bass D to record a cover of the Doobie Brothers' song "What a Fool Believes" during the album's creation, but the collaboration never came to fruition. Mahaffey later recorded the cover independently, drawn to creating large chords with small instruments. The song was constructed in a non-C major key to add variation to the album. Some instruments such as the one-string Mattel star guitar made chord assembly arduous, requiring each note to be played one at a time. On the back of physical copies, Mahaffey compiled a list of all toys used for Gizmodgery. Of these, Cheryl Botchick of CMJ noted that the listed six-string electric guitar produced by Vox "could be construed as a rule bender".
Self additionally worked on Breakfast with Girls (1999), an album planned to be released through DreamWorks Records, while making Gizmodgery.{{cite web |last=Heisel|first=Scott|url=https://www.altpress.com/we_never_broke_up_but_we_got_burned_outmatt_mahaffey_on_the_return_of_self|title="We never broke up, but we got burned out"—Matt Mahaffey on the return of Self|website=Alternative Press|date=August 27, 2014|access-date=March 23, 2021}}
Mahaffey wrote and recorded "Suzie Q Sailaway" for inclusion on the latter, but was requested by the label to put it on the former. He subsequently re-recorded the song with a full band, wishing to contain toy songs to Gizmodgery.{{cite web |last=Duritz|first=Darius|url=http://www.pigpublications.com/Archives/selfpart1.htm|title=The PiG Interview with Matt Mahaffey|website=PiG Publications|language=en|date=March 10, 2000|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010419103014/http://www.pigpublications.com/Archives/selfpart1.htm|archive-date=April 19, 2001|accessdate=December 24, 2024}}
This process delayed the release of Breakfast with Girls, which, combined with the track's shift in style, led to a retroactive dissatisfaction. A remix of the song's toy recording was created in 1999 by Michael Simpson of the Dust Brothers. Mahaffey preferred this remix to the original version, eventually adding it to the compilation album Selfafornia (2001).{{cite web |url=http://www.spongebathrec.com/self/news.html|title=Self - News|website=Spongebath Records|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010622152045/http://www.spongebathrec.com/self/news.html|archive-date=June 22, 2001|accessdate=December 24, 2024}}
Release
Gizmodgery released through Spongebath Records on September 5, 2000, and appeared in retail stores by October 31. Issued exclusively on HDCD,{{cite web |author=The Five 10|url=https://thefive10.com/2015/08/04/self-matt-mahaffey-to-release-15th-anniversary-vinyl-of-gizmodgery/|title=sElf / Matt Mahaffey to Release 15th Anniversary Vinyl of Gizmodgery|website=The Five 10|language=en|date=August 4, 2015|accessdate=December 24, 2024}} the album sold 10,000 units in its first week. Copies were packaged with a parental advisory sticker on the front due to the song "Trunk Fulla Amps",{{cite web |last=|first=|url=https://www.ocolly.com/self-more-than-just-boys-with-toys/article_78c3bcf0-36b2-55ff-a48d-b16464da31b7.html|title=Self more than just boys with toys|website=The O'Colly|language=en|date=October 12, 2000|accessdate=December 24, 2024}} which repeats the word "motherfucker" numerous times. Few concerts were connected to the album's release, limited by the extensive cost of batteries required to power the toy instruments.{{cite web |last=Gdula|first=Steve|url=http://wallofsound.go.com/news/stories/self110200.html|title=Self Plays With Toys|website=Wall of Sound|language=en|date=November 2, 2000|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010126222500/http://wallofsound.go.com/news/stories/self110200.html|archive-date=January 26, 2001|accessdate=December 24, 2024}} "Trunk Fulla Amps" received a music video directed by Reed Ridley in February 2001, published through MTV. Celebrating its fifteenth anniversary, the album was re-issued through El Camino Media on September 11, 2015, available as a digital download and physically as a blue vinyl.
Reception
{{Music ratings
|rev1=AllMusic
|rev1Score={{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |last=Huey|first=Steve|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/gizmodgery-mw0000619636|title=Gizmodgery Review|website=AllMusic|access-date=March 23, 2021}}
|rev2=The Daily Nebraskan
|rev2Score={{Rating|4|4}}{{cite web |last=Shaw|first=Andrew|url=https://www.dailynebraskan.com/hungry-hungry-harmony-self-uses-toys-to-create-music/article_aa662f00-7404-5b3e-9026-dffd4133f28f.html|title='Hungry, Hungry Harmony': Self uses toys to create music|website=The Daily Nebraskan|date=October 26, 2000|access-date=December 24, 2024}}
|rev3=Dead On The Web
|rev4= LMNOP
|rev5= Pitchfork
|rev5Score=6.9/10{{cite web |last=Owen|first=Spencer|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/7067-gizmodgery/|title=Self: Gizmodgery Album Review|website=Pitchfork|date=August 21, 2001|access-date=March 23, 2021}}
|rev6= RockZone
| rev7 = Portland Press Herald
| rev7Score = A{{cite journal |last=Peters|first=Ryan|title=Self's fourth album 'Gizmodgery' is performed entirely on toy instruments and it's one lots of people are going to want|journal=Portland Press Herald|date=October 15, 2000|page=5E}}
}}
The album received positive reviews upon release. Steve Huey of AllMusic gave the album a rating of 4/5, complimenting its detailed production against cheap toys and Mahaffey's "playful, often kitschy sense of humor". Andrew Shaw of The Daily Nebraskan rated Gizmodgery 4 out of 4 stars, hailing the production and complete soundscapes achieved with the toys. Spencer Owen of Pitchfork criticized the project's stylistics derivations and the noisiness of "5 Alive" and "Chameleon" while lauding the fun energy presented in other tracks, rating it a 6.9/10. The album was reviewed more positively by Samuel Barker of RockZone, calling it a "good mix of old style funk with a dose of new age pop" and giving it an A+ grade. Steven Fievet of LMNOP followed with a rating of 5 out of 6 stars, classifying the album as "toy pop" and magnifying its mix of lighthearted and serious undertones. Ryan Peters of Portland Press Herald graded Gizmodgery an A, praising its tasteful mix of contrasting pop elements and Mahaffey's ability to avoid relying on a gimmick.
Amy Phillips of The Village Voice positively reviewed the album's youthful themes, classing "Pattycake" as its best song.{{cite web |last=Phillips|first=Amy|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/boy-toys/|title=Boy Toys|website=The Village Voice|language=en|date=March 6, 2001|accessdate=December 24, 2024}} Mark Woodlief of CMJ shared similar sentiment, admiring Mahaffey's production and comparing his experimental songwriting to Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips.{{cite magazine |last=Woodlief|first=Mark|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wikEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24|title=Best New Music - Gizmodgery|magazine=CMJ|issue=89|pages=24, 70|date=January 2001|access-date=December 24, 2024}} Scott Hefflon of Lollipop Magazine likened the song "I Love To Love Your Love My Love" to the Beatles and Jellyfish, commending its harmonies and doo-wop composition.{{cite web |last=Hefflon|first=Scott|url=https://lollipopmagazine.com/2001/04/self-gizmodgery-review/|title=Self – Gizmodgery – Review|website=Lollipop Magazine|language=en|date=April 1, 2001|accessdate=December 24, 2024}} J Noise of Hybrid Magazine equated Mahaffey's guitar work throughout Gizmodgery to Brian May's, admiring the diverse combination of genres and stating a resemblance to Beck's Odelay (1996).{{cite web |last=Noise|first=J|url=http://www.hybridmagazine.com/reviews/1100/self.html|title=Reviews {{!}} Self - Gizmodgery|website=Hybrid Magazine|language=en|date=|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010304001814/http://www.hybridmagazine.com/reviews/1100/self.html|archive-date=March 4, 2001|accessdate=December 24, 2024}} Carlos Ramirez of No Echo was pleased by Mahaffey's choice not to emulate the original singing style of "What a Fool Believes", enjoying its synthetic bouyancy.{{cite web |last=Ramirez|first=Carlos|url=https://www.noecho.net/song-of-the-day/self-what-a-fool-believes-from-gidmodgery-spongbath-2000|title=Self, "What a Fool Believes," from Gizmodgery (Spongebath, 2000)|website=No Echo|language=en|date=March 15, 2014|access-date=December 25, 2024}} Jeff Brown of The Pitch additionally approved "What a Fool Believes" and the varied moods of Gizmodgery, ranking the album as one of the best of 2000.{{cite web |last=Brown|first=Jeff|url=https://www.thepitchkc.com/best-albums-of-2000-critics-picks/|title=Best Albums of 2000: Critics' Picks|website=The Pitch|date=December 14, 2000|access-date=March 23, 2021}} Bill Ribas of NY Rock held a similar ranking for the year, favoring "Trunk Fulla Amps" for its similarities to David Bowie's Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980).{{cite web |last=Ribas|first=Bill|url=http://www.nyrock.com/streetbeat/1100.asp#six|title=Street Beat: Reviews of Unsigned, Newly Signed or Independent Label Bands|website=NY Rock|language=en|date=November 18, 2000|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010820193438/http://www.nyrock.com/streetbeat/1100.asp#six|archive-date=August 20, 2001|accessdate=December 24, 2024}} Ron Rollins of Dayton Daily News praised the album's energy and quirk,{{cite journal |last=Rollins|first=Ron|title=Seen & Overheard - Rock Toys|journal=Dayton Daily News|date=January 2, 2001}} while Ben Wener of The Orange County Register complimented its craftiness and use of childhood imagery.{{cite journal |last=Wener|first=Ben|title=Boy, can this guy play music|journal=The Orange County Register|date=December 15, 2000}}
=Use in media=
"Dead Man" appears in an episode of Tally Hall's internet show,{{cite web |author=Tally Hall|url=https://vimeo.com/56176404|title=South By Southwest 2007|website=Vimeo|language=en|time=1:45|date=December 22, 2012|accessdate=December 24, 2024}} which boosted the track in popularity on Spotify alongside "What a Fool Believes".{{cite web |last=Besecker|first=Gabe|url=https://woof-mag.com/2023/12/11/self-indulgent-a-retrospective-on-the-band-that-started-matt-mahaffeys-career/|title=sElf-Indulgent: A Retrospective on the Band That Started Matt Mahaffey's Career|website=Woof Magazine|language=en|date=December 11, 2023|accessdate=December 24, 2024}} The latter song is featured in the first episode of the Netflix series FUBAR.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13130216/soundtrack/?ref_=tt_trv_snd|title="FUBAR" Take Your Daughter to Work Day (TV Episode 2023) - Soundtracks|website=IMDb|language=en|date=May 25, 2023|accessdate=December 24, 2024}}
Track listing
{{track listing
|
| all_writing = Matt Mahaffey, except where noted
| total_length = 42:11
| title1 = I Am a Little Explosion
| length1 = 3:35
| title2 = 5 Alive
| length2 = 3:09
| title3 = Chameleon
| length3 = 2:53
| title4 = Dead Man
| length4 = 3:03
| title5 = Trunk Fulla Amps
| writer5 = {{hlist|Matt Mahaffey|Mike Mahaffey|Jason Rawlings|Mac Burrus|Chris James}}
| length5 = 3:24
| title6 = Pattycake
| writer6 = {{hlist|Matt Mahaffey|Rawlings|Burrus}}
| length6 = 4:05
| title7 = Ordinaire
| writer7 = {{hlist|Mahaffey|Mahaffey|Rawlings|Burrus|James}}
| length7 = 3:22
| title8 = Miracle Worker
| length8 = 2:02
| title9 = Hi, My Name's Cindy
| length9 = 2:29
| title10 = What a Fool Believes
| writer10 = {{hlist|Michael McDonald|Kenny Loggins}}
| length10 = 3:42
| title11 = 9 Lives
| length11 = 2:33
| title12 = I Love To Love Your Love My Love
| writer12 = {{hlist|Mahaffey|Mahaffey|Rawlings|Burrus|James}}
| length12 = 4:23
| title13 = Trunk Fulla Amps
| note13 = Clean Version
| writer13 = {{hlist|Mahaffey|Mahaffey|Rawlings|Burrus|James}}
| length13 = 3:26
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Japanese edition
| total_length = 45:33
| title14 = Resurrect
| writer14 =
| length14 = 3:22
}}
Notes
- "Miracle Worker" is sometimes stylized as "Miracleworker"
- "I Love To Love Your Love My Love" is sometimes stylized as "ilovetoloveyourlovemylove"
Personnel
Musicians
{{div col}}
- Matt Mahaffey – lead vocals, instruments
- Mike Mahaffey – guitar (10), instruments (5, 7, 12, 13)
- Mac Burrus – instruments (5, 7, 12, 13)
- Chris James – instruments (5, 7, 12, 13)
- Jason Rawlings – instruments (5, 7, 12, 13)
{{div col end}}
Technical
{{div col}}
- Chris James – mixing engineer
- Tom Baker – mastering engineer
- Matt Mahaffey – engineer (1–4, 6, 8–11, 14)
- Shawn McLean – engineer (5, 7, 12, 13)
- Kii Arens – package design
- Fuzita Blender – Japanese package design
- Daisuke Fujisawa – Japanese photography
- Kozaburo Sakamoto – Japanese photography
{{div col end}}
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Monthly chart performance for Gizmodgery ! scope="col"| Chart (2001) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"|Alternative Radio Airplay (CMJ)
|9 |
|---|
{{col-2}}
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Chart performance for "What a Fool Believes" ! scope="col"| Chart (2020) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| Radio Top 100 Alternative Songs (Japan){{cite web|url=https://www.top-charts.com/songs/alternative/japan/radio/2020-W04|title=Japan Radio Top 100 Alternative Songs Chart |website=Top Charts|language=en|date=January 26, 2020|access-date=December 25, 2024}}
| 69 |
|---|
{{col-end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Self (band)}}
{{Authority control}}