M'Lumbo
Multimood Records/Staalplaat
M'lumbo's history as a group is almost
as long and varied as its intense schizophrenic
compositions. In twelve years as an
on-again-off-again rotating cast of characters,
the collective has released eight full-length
albums and has made several appearances on
compilations. The group has also created a
number of films and commercials, including
shorts for MTV and MTV2. In 1999
M'lumbo completed System
Noise, a film featuring guest musical
appearances from Gary Lucas,
Badawi, and Neotropic which won
best experimental feature at the New York
International Film Festival, toured as a
Slamdance feature, and secured European
distribution.
Following the completion of System
Noise, M'lumbo began working on
their 2000 release, The Nine Billion Names of
God. The album takes the listener on a
journey through a schizophrenic world of found
sound and collage-based music while
maintaining a distinct jazz aesthetic. Although
the group touches on about 100 different
motifs throughout the nine-minute "Vacation in
Heaven," there is never any doubt that the
music you are hearing is coming from the same
source/curator. The Nine Billion Names of
God establishes M'lumbo among
such neo-Dadaist greats as Neotropic and
Negativland.
Noel Morrison
last updated:
08/27/01
