Podcast
For this week, we discussed crazy ideas about: the voices inside our heads, Alexander Dugin, aka the “Rasputin behind Putin”, and the amazingly bizarre Japanese Ads of 2016 (a selection of which can be found here.) Mutable’s curmudgeon’s got deep, got dirty, and got a lot more than they’d bargained for this week.
In this original play by Ben Segal, two men have a short conversation. Written specifically for Bedroom Theater, it is our pleasure here at Mutable to share this delightful drama with you.
isten to our three experts pontificating this week on these three issues of sexuality, reality, and dentists on drugs in the 21st century for the first in our series of 3 Things. Mutable’s favorite three curmudgeons are giving their two cents on issues you had no desire to ever know anything about! Check in regularly for more 3 Things!
Scientists at SONY CSL Research Laboratory have created the first-ever entire songs composed by Artificial Intelligence: Mister Shadow. What was the inspiration behind the writing? We can only wonder. Welcome to the future!
The first track of Jonah—of Devil Music Ensemble and Debo Band fame—Rapino’s aptly named and under-appreciated album, High, is a ten-minute meditation that revolves around a reading of Ovid’s Metamorphosis. It has the driving power of Crystal Method—although a Crystal Method that has matured to a more Brian Eno level, a more spiritually complete vision of the musical workings of the universe. This is a music built on the foundation of a JRR-Tolkien-level logic and with a serious psychedelic overbite, and it is a powerful piece of music. It stands out on the album and is a current favorite of mine!
released December 1, 2010 Recorded & mixed at Hardcore Studios JP MA by J Rapino - Mastered by B Wood Instruments Casio SK 1 - Yamaha DX 11 - Yamaha CS 15 - MicroKorg Violin - Lapsteel Guitar - Electric Guitar - Acoustic Guitar Oberheim DMX Drum Machine - Vibraphone - Glokenspiel Guest Artists Farhad Ebrahimi playing drums on Ziggurat Rafi Metz reading Ovid's Metamorphoses on Ziggurat Sebastian Paulson playing drums on Cloud Horse All Songs Jonah Rapino Music ASCAP www.massdist.com www.jonahrapino.com MD95
A young scholar off to her new life at the Lady Jane Grey College for Little Ladies
The year is 1903, and it’s time we played the laughing game. The Lady Jane Grey College for Little Ladies has hedges that release poisonous fumes cause those who sniff them to swoon. Oh, and Gundrun’s brother has a tumor in his brain among other things.
Mutable Sound Chicago, Illinois Mutable Sound is an online gallery for sound and word located in Chicago, IL. We are dedicated to publishing works in all genres, from the dense and inextricable to the light-hearted and absurd, and release albums that are experiments more than anything else, without being particularly experimental.
“But whose mind was it?” They are the terror of all domesticated pets!
It’s the year 1903 and Grammar Instructor Gundrun was asking the Professor of Arcane Knowledge a point concerning gerunds, while Jack must have his fleet of porcelain miniature hot air balloons complete for the Saint Louis World Fair, while all manner of fantastical beings twinkle in the candle light. Much laughter ensues. There are things that can move from rooms to the very idea of rooms.
Mutable Sound Chicago, Illinois Mutable Sound is an online gallery for sound and word located in Chicago, IL. We are dedicated to publishing works in all genres, from the dense and inextricable to the light-hearted and absurd, and release albums that are experiments more than anything else, without being particularly experimental.
What horrors are occurring in the office of Headmistress Ursula at this very moment?
The year is 1903, and several young scholars are throwing stones at ducks, while boys from the preparatory school down the lane teeter about under the influence of the strong narcotic released when they set fire to the bushes, and all this under the beady gaze of the Headmistress, soon to be joined by Handyman Jack. But what of the Professor of Arcane Knowledge and the monkey on his gurney?
Mutable Sound Chicago, Illinois Mutable Sound is an online gallery for sound and word located in Chicago, IL. We are dedicated to publishing works in all genres, from the dense and inextricable to the light-hearted and absurd, and release albums that are experiments more than anything else, without being particularly experimental.
Below is video taken of a rare live performance by Mutable’s mysterious french pop underground sensation, Paplib. The verdict by the e-zine, Subjective: “Paplib : substance extraterrestre dont l’absorption a des effets bénéfiques variés selon le moment de la prise.” [Trans. “Paplib: alien substance whose absorption has beneficial effects varied by time of dosing.”] Paplib’s full album can be found here.
Vidéo : Julien Meynet
What is Archibald doing to that monkey?
The year is 1903, and Grammar Instructor Gundrun is remembering a time she smoked tobacco products. But what about the monkey? Did Gundrun really squish jellyfish between her toes when she was younger? What is she getting at?
Mutable Sound Chicago, Illinois Mutable Sound is an online gallery for sound and word located in Chicago, IL. We are dedicated to publishing works in all genres, from the dense and inextricable to the light-hearted and absurd, and release albums that are experiments more than anything else, without being particularly experimental.
Some time ago we did a shout out for song poems. Song poems as in song lyrics that have been set to music for a fee, although in our case there was no fee. We simply wanted to recreate a similar outsider aesthetic as can be found in such classics as “Do You Know the Difference Between Big Wood and Brush” and “Blind Man’s Penis (Peace and Love)”.
We got exactly one response from a fellow name of Colin Williamson, and when we did I had completely forgotten about our little post requesting poems to be transformed into song and said, “Well, what do you expect me to do with this? How about sending me some more poems, and then we’ll see.” Only later, did it occur to me that he might have intended his poem to be transformed into a song, and it turned out this was in fact the case.
Some time ago we did a shout out for song poems. Song poems as in song lyrics that have been set to music for a fee, although in our case there was no fee.
Headmistress Ursula pictured here when she was much younger and wilder.
Handyman Jack has just accused the Headmistress of eating the ears off living pigs, while Archibald is also revealing some unsavory bit of business to the Grammar Instructor. But what of the boy currently under the influence of the psychedelic fumes emitted by the bushes he had set fire to? What of Simone and Boo Boo?
Mutable Sound Chicago, Illinois Mutable Sound is an online gallery for sound and word located in Chicago, IL. We are dedicated to publishing works in all genres, from the dense and inextricable to the light-hearted and absurd, and release albums that are experiments more than anything else, without being particularly experimental.
What horrors will come of Gundrun’s brother’s offspring?
Archibald the Professor of Arcane Knowledge has some unpleasant news for the Grammar Instructor, but then he plucks the memory of their interaction from her mind, slips into a secret opening constructed while sampling a student’s confiscated coca leaf collection. And what does he find in the secret passageway? And what does he do to the poor unfortunate? And what will Gundrun do when they meet again moments after that other meeting she has now has no recollection of?
Mutable Sound Chicago, Illinois Mutable Sound is an online gallery for sound and word located in Chicago, IL. We are dedicated to publishing works in all genres, from the dense and inextricable to the light-hearted and absurd, and release albums that are experiments more than anything else, without being particularly experimental.
Archibald keeps appearing in the strangest places. Will he ever find the gymnasium?
The girls have a lesson in logic soon, but why did Simone’s mommy and daddy have to die? Archibald’s head pops up in the center of the pond and disappears. The Grammar Instructor suddenly appears to be sporting a goiter. “You all disgust me,” she shouts.
Mutable Sound Chicago, Illinois Mutable Sound is an online gallery for sound and word located in Chicago, IL. We are dedicated to publishing works in all genres, from the dense and inextricable to the light-hearted and absurd, and release albums that are experiments more than anything else, without being particularly experimental.
Alex Yoffe looks like someone who grew up on a farm. He also happens to be a composer of the weird and the inexplicable. His compositions are bound by no tradition, from the Far East to experimental electronica. We here at Mutable first discovered Yoffe in a church in Hyde Park.
We were attending a night of gamelan music put on by the Friends of the Gamelan in Chicago, or FROG. Yoffe plays with the group and one of the compositions was his. It was during his composition a certain highly-strung Mutable Sound editor started literally hyperventilating as result of the sheer wall of emotion brought on by the piece.
Of course most of Yoffe’s compositions are not strictly in the javanese tradition, but do utilize aspects of this genre of musicmaking as well as others, but for our Mutable Sound of the Month, we did choose one of his more Javanese compositions, although don’t be fooled. He also performs his own brand of electronica under the moniker Bode Radio in bars around Chicago. Of course his various projects all bleed together as even a cursory glance will show you.
Written for a full Javanese Gamelan Ensemble in the Pelog tuning system. This is a recording of the premiere performance which took place in Hyde Park, IL at the Hyde Park Union Church from Sounds (headphone friendly), track released June 15, 2012Thanks to Friends of the Gamelan for making this performance and recording possible!
This is how Grammar Instructor Gundrun sees all of you.
The year is 1903 and Jack just had a strange notion. He is sweet sometimes. They may even munch on some lettuce. They will leave out the back door, but their play is doomed to be interrupted by the very illogical Simone. And what of Archibald? Is it true he is performing his obeisance in a less than private place? Is Gundrun become unhinged? And what is it comes from the wound?
Mutable Sound Chicago, Illinois Mutable Sound is an online gallery for sound and word located in Chicago, IL. We are dedicated to publishing works in all genres, from the dense and inextricable to the light-hearted and absurd, and release albums that are experiments more than anything else, without being particularly experimental.
A dark cloud consumes the school.
The thing dug into her flesh and she had to cut it out, but what happened to the other boys? And a dark cloud has consumed the school. Perhaps Archibald is at the bottom of this. When last we saw him he was covered in monkey guts and murmuring in a strange tongue. Headmistress Ursula will deal with this.
Mutable Sound Chicago, Illinois Mutable Sound is an online gallery for sound and word located in Chicago, IL. We are dedicated to publishing works in all genres, from the dense and inextricable to the light-hearted and absurd, and release albums that are experiments more than anything else, without being particularly experimental.
The Other Way Around is a local Chicago underground musical phenomenon comprising Jason Allen, Patrick van Slee, Dan Katayama, and Piotrek Wereszczyński. Among their current repertoire, this song stands out as a truly weird and wonderful thing. It is a cover of a traditional Japanese song. Pat, who knows no Japanese, transcribed the lyrics as best he could, and Dan, who knows a little more Japanese, says it’s fairly accurate. But we here at Mutable are not interested in cultural accuracy, but in psychedelic ridiculosity, and regardless of its truthful rendering of a wonderful folk song, this thing certainly cuts my brainstem a new peephole if you know what I’m saying.
The Other Way Around Sado Okesa, released 23 April 2013
What is happening to us?
A “bear” nursery is a very solemn place. The narrator knows these fantastical creatures in disturbing detail. Beware!
Mutable Sound Chicago, Illinois Mutable Sound is an online gallery for sound and word located in Chicago, IL. We are dedicated to publishing works in all genres, from the dense and inextricable to the light-hearted and absurd, and release albums that are experiments more than anything else, without being particularly experimental.
What witchery has Headmistress Ursula performed upon the young scholars?
Archibald the Professor of Arcane Knowledge and the Headmistress Ursula are currently facing off in the bowels of the school. The boy has returned to himself only to find he is trapped in a crib, his thoughts on a girl with a polka dot brassiere and how he will never see her again. But what of Jack? Does Simone know some secret to this seemingly innocuous handyman?
Mutable Sound Chicago, Illinois Mutable Sound is an online gallery for sound and word located in Chicago, IL. We are dedicated to publishing works in all genres, from the dense and inextricable to the light-hearted and absurd, and release albums that are experiments more than anything else, without being particularly experimental.
