Re: Octophonic sound system

["Jim Poppen" <zebu@mindspring.com>]

> Goddess wrote:
>
> >   -And, in a somewhat different and much more immediately
accessible form
> > of octophonic playback, there's apparently  an album from a band
whose name
> > I unfortunatley can't remember at the moment, which consists of
four CDs
> > which are all played back ALMOST simultaneously on four separate
stereo
> > systems.  It's apparently quite the collector's item lately.
People have
> > parties based around it.
> >
>

Then jas:

> This would be Zariika (spelling?) by the wonderful Flaming Lips.
>
> Pining for the days when everyone would gather around
> the phonograph listening to the newest Beatles release, they created
&
> released this set.  All together now...  ;)
>
> My friend has a copy, but we have yet to give it a go...
>
> later,
> -jas
> Albuquerque

Close on the spelling. It's "Zaireeka" (a mix of Zaire and Eureka, I
forget the significance of this combination). I had to double check
the spelling myself. Like the Flaming Lips or not, this is most
definitely worth checking out. Since it's out of print, you can
usually find a copy on ebay for about $30-$50. There's a very real
warning on the front of the CD:"...This recording also contains
frequencies not normally heard on commercial recordings and on rare
occasions has caused the listener to become disoriented." (Read the
liner notes for a bit more detail.) I thought this warning was a joke
until I queued up the "nauseating" track #6 on just two stereos
(synching manually is trial and error, and getting all four discs to
play at the same time is tricky), and stopped the "song" (more like a
chorus of sine waves) immediately for fear of, well, hurling. Don't
worry, the other seven tracks are "real songs". Throwing a party seems
to be the way to go. Might as well blow a few more minds after having
to set up four stereos. If anyone is interested in reading further,
check out:
http://www.flaminglips.com/cmp/zwaffle.htm
http://www.janecek.com/zaireeka.html

Octophonic regards,
Jim


p.s. Here's some more encouragement from me urging readers of this
list ('specially old-timers, lurkers like me included) to contribute a
bit o' cash to Kim. Dust off the cobwebs on your wallets, fer pete's
sake. :-)

p.p.s. Outlook Express is a steaming pile. >:-0  I use it now because
Netscape's mail app was getting crusty. (Just wanted to bitch)