Sam Snitchy is the newest moniker employed by the Swiss gent once known as Maniporno. Also known as Melker, a handle slapped on the cover of two full-length releases, a recurring characteristic of his current sound is the blending of punk scuzz with electronics of assorted stylistic stripes. 2 Horse Forse, the third release as Sam Snitchy, is a wild ride, hitting stores on March 13 through the Voodoo Rhythm label.
As Maniporno, the man now known as Sam Snitchy, has been described as a street poet. Recordings under that name are pretty scarce. As Mani Porno, there’s one cut, “Fuchs,” included on the compilation Reitschule Beatet Mehr, which was released on CD in 2010 by the Swiss label Endorphin Entertainment.
Notably, that comp also included a track by Reverend Beat-Man, aka Beat Zeller, the musician who is additionally responsible for the increasingly copious discography of Voodoo Rhythm, including his own work. All three Sam Snitchy albums have been released by Voodoo Rhythm, beginning with Got Me Wrong in 2022, continuing with Talking Talking in 2024, and now 2 Horse Force.
But before the association with Voodoo Rhythm, two albums were released under the Melker name, first “2-10” in 2017 and then Roc the following year. These are both solid releases, but as Sam Snitchy, there’s been a deeper commitment to combining punk with strains of technology as the artist has really come into his own.
He’s been described more than once in print as an “anti-dance” specialist, but there’s a hyperactive quality to his stuff, and specifically in 2 Horse Force’s opener “Throw It Out,” that registers as appropriate for body flailing. It’s also important to mention that Sam Snitchy leads a band; this time out, it’s Marco Fuorigioco on bass, guitar, and synth, Philipp Schlotter on synth, and Domi Chancorn on drums.
“Cockroaches” is cohesive and raw, very much a rock number as “Rabbit” throbs with electro-punk precision. Snitchy is loose and confident as a singer, recalling the swagger that was part of punk in its early days. Across 2 Horse Force, Sam Snitchy doesn’t rip up the rulebook but instead scrawls their own chapter in the margins.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
B+
