Happy bogus holiday, Valentine’s Day! How would you like to hear “Two Blobs Fucking?”
Oh no, no, my pet, I didn’t mean to offend you! That just happens to be the name of the Flaming Lips’ new project, released in its entirety today at 3 p.m. EST on YouTube. For free.
[More after the jump…]
The Oklahoma rock act has been releasing bits and b(l)obs of audio compositions on its YouTube channel, with the intention that each piece is played on a separate handheld smartphone or similar iPhone-like device.
“Imagine the lo-fi symphonic joy that you, along with family, friends, pets, and others, will create at the touch of a button. The more devices, the more harmonic possibilities can be constructed. You and your device, at one with the music, become the orchestra, just as the Gods of Technology naturally intended it to be.”
Click here for each of the song’s 12 tracks.
While I don’t particularly combine the words “family” and “fucking” frequently in the same sentence, the Lips have once again found a interactive way to experience their albums. It follows in line behind their other audio experiments, like the four-tracked stereo sound of 1997’s “Zaireeka,” their Boombox and Parking Lot projects. Each demanded that their pieces of music be played simultaneously, sometimes at varying volumes or proximities, pans and starting points.
“Two Blobs Fucking” has the same starting point, with electric guitar, rhythm tracks, percussion and various other media blaring seemingling at random, but once all 12 tracks are made available, the pieces should fit together. When you get tired of talking about the Grammys at the water cooler, in other words, give this one a try.
The band has already announced the imminent release of “Heady Nuggs: The First 5 Warner Bros. Records 1992-2002,” the five-vinyl-disc boxed set due on Record Store Day, April 16.
They’ve also set more tour dates, below.
Flaming Lips last released wild-child double-album “Embryonic” last year.
Have you tried “Two Blobs Fucking” yet? How does it, erm, sound?
Thur Mar 3 Tibet House US Benefit / Carnegie Hall NYC
Sun Mar 6 Snow Ball Fest / Nottingham Park Avon, CO
Sun Apr 3 Lollapalooza Santiago, Chile
Fri May 13 The Fillmore Detroit Detroit, MI (on sale Feb 11)
Sat May 14 Nelsonville Music Festival Nelsonville, OH
Sun May 15 The National Richmond, VA
Tue May 17 TBA
Wed May 18 TBA
Thur May 19 Tabernacle Atlanta, GA (DATE CHANGE!)
(Special performance of “The Soft Bulletin” and more)
Sat May 21 The Hangout Festival Gulf Shores, AL
Thu May 26 Primavera Festival Barcelona, Spain
Sun May 29 Sasquatch Festival / The Gorge George, WA (on sale Feb 12)
(Special performance of “The Soft Bulletin” and more)
Fri July 1 All Tomorrow”s Parties/Alexandra Palace London, UK
(Special performance of “The Soft Bulletin” and more)
Thur July 7 Aragon Ballroom Chicago, IL
Fri July 8 Aragon Ballroom Chicago, IL (on sale Feb 19)