All Music Guide

Not everybody likes noise music, in fact hardly anybody likes it, but everybody should own a copy of this Sound of Mucus mini-CD just because it is such a cool looking thing.

This is also so compact that it is absolutely the answer to the inane, obnoxious and stupid "desert isle discs" question, the stranded party could simply have this and not bother with any other recordings—more room for ammunition!

From a distance this looks like one of those refrigerator magnets for a classic film, Sound of Music specifically. In fact a jaded observer of the avant garde scene admitted that, upon first seeing this item, the impression was that this was a just such a magnet, the following thought mingling in the brainwaves: "Oh what a nice family this is, they have a Sound of Music refrigerator magnet on display with the modern jazz CDs."

Actually, though, the lettering says Sound of Mucus and the names of the three band members are listed in lieu of Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer et al. The dinky disc captures an entire set recorded by the MDLC organization in the south of France. "Lorgues" is named after the village where the organization presents its concerts and festivals, a locale so remote that French people normally react to its mention by saying "Oh, you mean Lourdes. There is no place called Lorgues."

Defying expectations of what is normal music as groups of this sort like to do and indeed are expected to do, the Sound of Mucus set at times seems to have a lack of identity in the world of music as severe as the village of Lorgues suffers at the hands of its fellow countrymen. The procession of sounds would make more sense if it were to accompany some other activity than a concert performance. Andreas Axelsson's superb splatter of percussion brings to mind the obvious example of a closet being cleaned out and there would be many more comparisons were brevity not an issue.

There is a sense of relief as the set ends with a garbled shout and the feeling is hard to explain, partly a release of tension since the music has evoked exaggerated apprehensions like the soundtrack to a mystery heard through a wall. While clearly just a short segment of what this trio does, the Lorgues performance is refreshingly devoid of grandstanding or the thickened slop of busy sonic trivia.

Eugene Chadbourne