Born from the bat that bit patience number one, SlimemoldS is an expression of unrest and flux in perception. Me (Ben) and Charlie’s new collaboration aims to lace something visceral in the web of slight and found objects. During a moment of far reaching crisis Charlie found brief moments of reprieve in drum machines and 4 track cassette records. He then would send these snapshots over, and I would add instrumentation and lyrics. Thus, it was in this back and forth that SlimemoldS was born. Globally it felt like something else was also being born. A new cognizance of the body in space, and the body in systems. Anxiety is a grease that keeps specific types of monsters ubiquitous, pinching the neck of culture, and maintaining the archaic power structure that really only benefits a minuscule segment of humanity. With this project the aim is to redirect the energy generated from these fears and anxieties into a sonic lattice that pushes towards a reimagining of these structures, and ultimately an ownership of the body and its affect systems.
Slime molds are single cell organisms that can live freely on their own or branch out to form multicellular creatures. They are able to solve complex engineering problems without a central nervous system. For instance, set a slime mold on the bottom of a map of the United States. Then place bits of food over all the major cities. By distributed decision making the Slime mold will form a network between the various bits very closely resembling the US highway system. Feeding off of bacteria, yeast, and fungi they break down dead vegetation and are able to acquiesce and thrive in most any condition. Due to their adaptive nature and optimum decision making skills, some have suggested that Slime molds offer an idea into new systems of democracy.
With this EP me and Charlie found a new mode of expression that feels wide open and can go anywhere. We wanted to wrangle that dark cloud of apprehension and squeeze out every drop, boil it up, and then fan those vapors through speakers in a triumphal way, as to say, “It’s a new age, Baby!”
ACTualize! 