zaireeka spells success
I am very happy right now. I just had one of the most consistently synchronized simultaneous playing of all for discs of The Flaming Lips Zaireeka Box Set. I have been listening to them more with the release of Embryonic (I got it on amazon as an mp3 for $8. (oh also, at the same time, I got The Avett Brothers Emotionalism for $5. - I knew at the time that 2007 was one of the best years for music in a while - but I keep finding other albums that came out that year.) and I also got my Christmas on Mars Soundtrack and Zaireeka back.
The packaging says it best ZAIREEKA/ 4 Compact Discs/ WARNING: This is a unique recording. These eight compostitionsare to be played using as many as four compact disc players, and have synchronized start times. This Recording also contains frequencies not normally heard on sommercial recordings and on rare occasion has caused the listener to become disoriented. // FLAMING LIPS/ EXPERIMENT with multiple sound sources, listener participation, and new dimensions of sound. I sort of cheated by having my computer play disc 3 and 4 at the same time through the same set of speakers. And you can listen to any one on its own or do one or two or three in various combinations. It can be hard to set up all four. But all four really changes the experience. You are active in listening. Even if you get everything synced that doesn't mean they are going to stay that way. It helps to orientate because they all are supposed to say "This is track number X" at the same time and so pause anyones ahead and then go and you get a wonderful satisfaction hearing the rounds of "This is cd number One" "is CD number 2" This is cd number 3" "and number four" and they all match up and you can move around and listen to different parts louder or softer depending on which speaker you are closest to. Ahhhhh. That was such a great listening to music experience, I just had to mention it to the internet void. Now it is back to laundry and looking for a new volunteer job. But so refreshed. In case you were wondering, they are songs, but they are weird songs and the bit about the frequencies is because they have four times the capacity as a regular cd, so they have all sorts of extra percussion and extra instruments and stuff that you couldn't normally fit it all into one cd. They explained it in the awesome documentary "Fearless Freaks"