DISCO VOLANTE

The second string of songs officially released by the commercial terrorists that are Mr. Bungle was their most sophisticated, yet the most obtuse, and simultaneously the most outrageously experimental. Not only was is their most experimental - but likely the most experimental of the 90s, and to take that fact further, it is also a promising nominee in the most experimental album to ever pass through the consumer's market (that is to say, of all time). Picture an album full of modern-day Moonchild songs, - except the first two minutes are not soft and serenely mood-setting, but equally outrageous and constantly evolving. That would clearly not suffice as an faithful description of the music. Indeed, it is terribly difficult to describe an album so diverse and varied, and yet so filthy and crude, and yet so unpredictable and zealous, unless the description itself was worded in a fashion equal to the craziness and absurdness of the music: in which case, the very best description of this music is simply "the sounds one would imagine a squashed turnip would make". Or would "the music of new-born apes" fit better? Perhaps the most fitting depiction is "the sounds silence hums" - because indeed the music is truly so bizarre as that.

The first few songs are mundane experimental music, but soon they travel to the uncharted lands of sound in search of new manners to pleasure the tissue within the ear. In their searching, they cross genres such as death metal, ambient, techno, swingy western, surfer rock, and even the most absurd of all: the genre known as "nothing".

Again, Mr. Bungle are not a showy band as to play face-melting, gut-busting solos, but to firstly compose music extraordinary, and secondly to further their research with trials of new sounds: that second being the key focus of this album. Unfortunately, at times, they go overboard with their ramblings, and things like The Bends occur, which is a trip best heard while heavily under the influence of narcotics of any type (pain medication for wisdom teeth removal will even suffice) while half asleep. In that state of stupor and skepticism, the trance is gripping beyond belief, and the mindless stupidity of the track is turned into poetic atmospheric pictures. Unfortunately, if you are not in a state vaguely similar to the aforementioned, then you will likely see the mindless stupidity of the track plainly and skip that track. I personally find it rather interesting (though I could not listen to it regularly), but it is not guaranteed that everyone feels the same way, and, in fact, I believe I am in the vast minority.

In the end, if you think music is something you can hum out, something that can ultimately be written on a sheet, then this cannot be music to your ears. If you cherish the mindless experiments of young musicians with modern technology, then I bid you find this album, and be entranced in the absurd world made by Mr. Bungle. Even veteran fans of Frank Zappa, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, and whatever other experimental group, this particular album may seem too much, and does indeed go way overboard with this release.