“MUSEUM” is not a good compilation; “MUSEUM” is a great compilation (from Camembert Électrique). The theme behind this is that each artist chose a work of art and used that as inspiration to create some music. I would not say this is a new concept, but it is just so well executed here. Let’s start with the numbers: 62(!) songs play out over almost six hours. The tracks are ordered chronologically from the oldest art represented to newest. So we start with an excellent energetic song featuring primitive percussion mixed with modern electronics called “Wandjina” by brainquake, which was inspired by 40,000 year old Aboriginal cave paintings, and carry through to the finish where Slavek Kwi took inspiration from a painting from the future (2055, apparently) to mix electronics, subtle beats, static, and other noises on the epic “firEtrEE.”
To add to the enjoyment, each of the songs on the Bandcamp page has an “info” link that shows you the artwork linked to the particular song and gives you a little information and (in some cases) additional links you can chase down if you really want to take a deep dive. My guess is everyone will find art referenced here that they find familiar (like Picasso’s “Guernica” or the Munch painting popularly known as “The Scream”) and probably some artists and works that are a revelation.
There is a very wide range of musical styles represented; I hate to leave anyone out because there’s so much great stuff here, but let me just highlight one or two…or a dozen:
- “The Mold Cape” by Pendro has some lovely drones interacting with some playful electronic insertions.
- The Jota Martínez song “C.S.M. 100. Santa María Strela do día” features replica 13th century instruments mixed with human voices and sounds both old and new.
- dR0ne “Saturno devorando a su hijo [Excerpt RII]” has foreboding drones and other dark textures on one of the more experimental pieces.
- The contribution from Ben Presto (“Maiastra”) sounds like a possessed music box.
- There’s some good industrial noise from Bleaeck with “Black Square.”
- “OHomemAntropofágico.JPEG worked with MIDI” by dkzyin is the shortest song on this comp. Its offbeat electronics sound like something Yello might have created
- [P.U.T], with one of the “Guernica” contributions, takes you on a trip from gentle acoustic guitar into buzzing electric guitar and drum punk/metal and, ultimately, some space rock freak out.
- Alice Just, with “L’oiseau migrateur” plays some lovely, slow piano and interjects some occasional wordless vocal and subtle production underneath.
- sylvain van iniitu’s “47 3-Part Variations on 3 Different Kinds of Cubes” has the rapid electronic rhythms of a Geiger counter gone rogue.
- I’m not sure what to make of Serge Bardot’s “Citroën SM Funk.” It sounds like it could include samples of some old TV commercials, but regardless “funk” is the right description, in all its 1970’s glory.
- MubisMusic’s “Inner Room” gives us some nice downtempo beats and sparse piano.
- Pacific 231 features what sounds like a spoken word cut up over a bed of bubbling electronics on “Citadelles.”