Turmeric Acid y Bardo Todol - Sonopædia

 

Released: February 21

Described as a “collection of audio-documentaries that transform encyclopaedic topic into sonic experiences,” Sonopaedia is a weird little journey through abstract noises, tones, and crunch voice recordings that educate and entertain. Or at least I assume it would educate me if I had bothered to pay better attention to retaining what I learnt in Spanish class. Regardless of any language barrier, the construction of the soundscapes here is absolutely captivating. Each track plays out in a semi-dramatic fashion that feels somewhat like listening a Ken Burns documentary that was created while actively trapped in The Twilight Zone. It’s sometimes lucid, sometimes raw, and sometimes unclear pieces and bits of sound make for some rather interesting and bewildering moments.

Among my favorite moments is “Capitulo sober El Jazz,”simply because of the manner in which these vaguely jazzy brass licks (or maybe a saxophone?) are integrated into the work. They feel just recognizable enough while also being extremely warped and wobbly, keeping pitches inconsistent and feeling like they may fall completely apart at times. It’s pretty emblematic of the whole album in terms of the quality of the sound. It has this very crunchy sound that is reminiscent of the old cheaper microphones used to record educational material. It’s difficult to describe, but a quick listen will instantly make it make sense. 

Other tracks bring this old educational film aura into even closer focus such as “Capitulo sober Las Iglesias,” which has that very interlude-esque motif. By this I mean, you hear the voice introduce you to the subject and then hear the music slowly play the voice out of the scene and segue into the stock footage of pastoral scenes in a rural town, old sanctuaries and churches too, with the accompanying bird sounds as well. It’s a wonderful and slightly nostalgic feeling for any of us who sat through the old slideshows in elementary (or primary) school. Which most off us didn’t enjoy at the time but nonetheless look back fondly upon.