Now for something completely out of leftfield, and to be honest I'm not sure if you can call this music.I had better explain. Mutant Beatniks are a loose collective of producers and sound technicians working out of Bath in the UK. They take a radical approach to their work, using 'found sounds' - sometimes location recordings, other times sounds found on old tapes and videos salvaged from charity shops, and snippets of radio and TV broadcasts; to create audio sculptures and sound scape paintings.
Its hard to describe or compare this stuff with anything else, the closest I can think of is maybe the early sonic experimentation of White Noise, or those linking sections you find on some of the early Hawkwind albums. Haunting noises flow in and out of your hearing, cats cries transmute into the sound of sea gulls and into waves, bagpipe drones become inter weaving sonic strands that play tag around your hearing range, snippets of conversation become 'almost' drum beats.... Its very hard to describe, and has to be experienced to be understood.
The best way to experience this, or any other Mutant Beatniks material (there are a fair few albums about), is in a darkened room, with head phones and just trance out as the sound flows over you. It is a most enjoyable sonic experience I assure you. There are 15 tracks on offer here, but it would be wrong to single out any moment for praise above any other moment. Listening to this album is like walking around an art instillation, it must be enjoyed as a whole to gain the full impact of this remarkable work.
Is this music, is this sonic art? I don't know, but I do know it is a most interesting and rewarding sonic experience.
For Fans of... Avant-garde experimentation, and sonic art.
'Fountain' can be downloaded free from here...
http://www.amazingtunes.com/users/mutantbeatniks/albums/907
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