Dedicated to the memory of Fred Liebermann, former Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart is publishing yet another album on Aug. 14 (lost count of the number of his LPs and CDs), but you can already hear Superorganism online now.
Hart has roamed the world for decades, but now, in advance of his 70th birthday (on Sept. 11), he is focusing on the microcosmos within: Wearing an EEG cap with electrodes, he captured and manipulated his brain signals into the sound forming the basis of the these compositions.
The Mickey Hart Band has "sonified" (their word, not mine) the Universe, Golden Gate Bridge, America's Cup, and so on. Now, it's time to go inside; exploring the intersection between biology, rhythm and music.
In spite of the suspected ostinato of brainwaves, songs on Superorganism have a wide variety. From the Rolling Stone review:
Opener "Falling Stars" introduces Hart's concept with busy bongos, spirited chants, and hospital bleeps, ranging from a communal celebration of the beat to a mesmerizing journey of grooves. "Don't Let Your God Down" lurches forward with shifting drum textures and tense electronic pulses, while "Bully Boy" kicks off with a disorienting mix of frantic pricks and spooky sound oscillations. Throughout it all, Hart's complex mind fuels unexpected sonics and changes in direction.