Anatomy of the Heads are a bunch of musicians from Banana (Kiribati, that is). And these Banana men released a bunch (well, three) live albums on the same day in October 2019. I picked one to discuss below.
“Copper Clad Coinage” is made up of two long-form pieces recorded live at the Gwanyongsan Arts & Culture Festival 2018, South Korea. Opener “Barnacle Headdress” is a slow synth lamentation over drone bed and bird noises. About half way through a bed of static gets louder with some noises down in the mix; I suspect they may be having a bit of fun here – throwing in things that sound like carnival noises or rewinding tape, among other interjections. The piece ultimately ends on kind of a funereal note. It’s a wonderful trip. You can get a taste here:
“Island Gigantism” starts off like exotica gone rogue, with carnival keyboard, flute drenched in echo and drone rhythm underneath. As you ride the wave of this piece you’ll also encounter sounds that are a soundtrack for your dreams – sometimes pleasant but also, at times, a little nightmarish. Overall it’s another great, dense sound journey.
And might I suggest you also poke around their website? The “AoftheH” sense of humor is well evident, and if you need it they can even help you “up your luau game.”