Secret Mommy

"String Lake"/"Grand About The Mouth"

Imagine making an electronic album without electronics. Not entirely without electronics, obviously mixers and other amplification tools are necessary to make sure the music actually gets heard. But imagine using nothing but acoustic instruments to create something that can only be defined as “Electronic” music. This is the premise for Secret Mommy’s (a.k.a. Andy Dixon) latest effort Plays. Taking parts from impromptu jam sessions, Dixon refits puzzle pieces purposely out of order to create entirely original orchestrations of standard instruments such as violin, piano, guitar, trumpets and bells. The lead off track “String Lake” is centered around a tricky guitar riff and glitched-out kitchen-sink percussion. Violins squeak and screech over bits and pieces of leftover loops cut to sand grain size. Parts of instrumental refrains are left intact, while others are rendered unrecognizable. “Grand About The Mouth” sports a similarly complicated arrangement using ukulele and baritone sax. It also shows off a wordless vocal chopped and spliced into a melodic lead line. Although surely not the first album of its kind, it’s definitely an impressive example of how much creativity can stem from restriction.



Download >>String Lake

Download >>Grand About The Mouth

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