As far as celebrating anniversaries of record releases goes, this one happens to be a personal favorite. The band as well as the album. April 5th 2005, Fantômas released an initial pressing (a regularly formatted CD version was later released) of their 4th studio album "Suspended Animation" in a limited run, a spiral bound calendar for the month of April. Probably one if not the most clever packaging I've ever seen for an album. The calendar, as well as coinciding with each track name (Days 1-30), celebrates all of the quirky holidays in the month of April. Added to that, is a children's toy theme that has a steady flow throughout within the artwork as well as the music. Artwork for this album was provided by the highly talented and creative artist Yoshitomo Nara. If somehow this release passed you by, by all means, do yourself a solid and aquire a copy as soon as possible. It's enough in all for any Patton fan to declare the month of April Fantômas month (mark that on your calendar).
Below is a little collection of art, photos, videos and an album review by Peter Marsh, via the BBC Website
Mike Patton
Fantômas "Suspended Animation"
Album Review via BBC
BBC Review
Fourth album from Mike Patton's kaleidoscopic prog/metal/jazz/noise outfit.
Writen by Peter Marsh, 2005
"Whatever you think about Mike Patton's music, it's hard to deny that he has artistic integrity. Even while with stadium funk rockers Faith No More, he was busy constructing perversejumpcut-metal with Mr Bungle, going on to hang out with John Zorn, Arto Lindsay, David Shea and Ikue Mori. He's even set up his own label and released a Merzbow CD. It hardly needs to be said that none of this is particularly financially rewarding work.
Over three albums Patton has turned his semi-regular allstar band Fantomas (members of The Melvins and Slayer are involved) into another Naked City. Capable of Carl Stalling meets Metallica mashups or the most somnolent dronescapes, their fondness for obscure soundtracks, Sci-Fi references and puckish humour actually make them more of an entertaining proposition than Zorn's outfit. Which is saying something.
Suspended Animation was recorded during the same sessions as last year's Delirium Corda, though you wouldn't think so. We get 30 tracks (one for each day in the month of April) in a mere 43 minutes. Illustrated with a calendar by cult Japanese artist Yoshimoto Nara, these songs celebrate valuable (if little known) anniversaries like 'That Sucks Day' or 'National Karaoke Week'.
Though a recurring vocal loop appears every now again (presumably to give some continuity), the rest of the time Fantomas mount ameticulously planned assault on the rational and expected. Speak and Spell machines, prog metal, cheesy jazz, wobbly radiophonic electronics, full-on thrash, nursery rhymes and soundtrack exotica jostle for pole position in a frenzied but good humoured collage.
Neural overload can result, but in the right frame of mind it's a cold shower for the brain. In fact, Fantomas' insertion of the maximum number of events into the minimum amount of time has the same disorientating effect on the listener's temporal awareness as the longest minimalist drone piece. By the time Bugs Bunny picks his way through the smoking wreckage to have the last word in your shell-like, the dizzying accretion of events has pulled you through so many emotional states you might not even know what day it is. And that's no bad thing."
Artwork by Yoshitomo Nara
Fantômas on Tracks Arte
Buzz Osborne, Mike Patton, Dave Lombardo & Trevor Dunn
" Suspended Animation "
Track Listing & Credits
"04/01/05 April Fool's Day" – 0:35
"04/02/05 International Children's Book Day (USA) Battle of the Flowers (France) National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day (USA)" – 2:10
"04/03/05 Megalisia (Roman) Don't Go to Work Unless It's Fun Day (USA)" – 1:46
"04/04/05 Er Tong Jie Children's Day (Taiwan) A Drop of Water Is a Grain of Gold Day (Turkmenistan)" – 1:33
"04/05/05 Festival of the Sweeping of the Tombs (China)" – 0:34
"04/06/05 Sorry Charlie Day (USA) Plan Your Epitaph Day (USA)" – 2:25
"04/07/05 Motherhood and Beauty Day (Armenia) No Housework Day (USA)" – 1:09
"04/08/05 Moharram (India) Hana Matsuri Flower Festival (Japan)" – 1:09
"04/09/05 Day of the Amazon Goddess (Brazil)" – 1:17
"04/10/05 Soul Sunday (Haitian Vodou) Feast of the Rivers and Seas (Egypt, Sumerian)" – 2:20
"04/11/05 Eight Track Tape Day (USA)" – 2:17
"04/12/05 Cosmonauts Day (Russia) Walk on Your Wild Side Day (USA) Feast of the Blajini (Romania)" – 1:16
"04/13/05 Blame Somebody Else Day (USA) Vaisakhi Solar Year (Hindu)" – 1:31
"04/14/05 Youth Day (Angola) International Moment of Laughter Day (USA)" – 2:21
"04/15/05 That Sucks' Day (USA) Day of the Sun (North Korea)" – 0:40
"04/16/05 Rekindle Your Romantic Self Day (USA)" – 0:49
"04/17/05 National Cheeseball Day (USA) "Blah Blah Blah" Day (USA)" – 0:46
"04/18/05 Week of the Young Child (USA) Depression Day -Anime Calendar (Japan)" – 0:47
"04/19/05 Binding Tuesday (UK) Garlic Day (USA)" – 0:40
"04/20/05 Taurus the Bull (Astrological Calendar) National Puppetry Day (USA)" – 1:49
"04/21/05 Kindergarten Day (Germany) Prophet's Birthday (Islamic)" – 1:40
"04/22/05 Feast of Ishtar (Babylonian) Girl Scout Leader Day (USA)" – 2:05
"04/23/05 Çocuk Bayrami (Turkey) Lover's Day (USA) Festival of the Green Man (Witches Calendar)" – 0:59
"04/24/05 National Karaoke Week (USA) Children's Day (Iceland)" – 1:49
"04/25/05 Cuckoo Day (UK) National Playground Safety Week (USA)" – 0:31
"04/26/05 Flower Parade (Netherlands) Richter Scale Day (USA)" – 1:32
"04/27/05 National Scoop the Poop Day (USA)" – 1:13
"04/28/05 Floralia (Romania)" – 1:31
"04/29/05 Casse Canarie (Haitian Vodou)" – 1:29
"04/30/05 National Honesty Day (USA) Beltane (Celtic) Walpurgisnacht (Germany)" – 3:09
Additional artwork provided by Martin Kvamme
Mastered by Gene Grimaldi
Written, Arranged & Produced by Mike Patton
Performed by Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn, Buzz Osborne and Dave Lombardo
Notes
Spiral-bound deluxe calendar edition. Includes a 30-page illustrated calendar for the month of April 2005. Limited to 25,000 copies.
Recorded and mixed at the Sound Factory, Hollywood. Mastered at Oasis Mastering, LA.
℗&© 2005 Ipecac Recordings
Manufactured and distributed by Caroline Distribution
Above information provided by Discogs.com
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