Dylan Koch is a content writer for KCPR. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang Media Group.
The KCPR studio walls are filled ceiling to floor with a record collection that dates back to the station’s inception in the late-1960’s. As an exploration of the history layered within these pieces of physical media, join KCPR’s Dylan Koch (DJ Dylanesque) and Lorenzo Cano (DJ White Sauce Pagan Baby) for a weekly dive into the lesser-travelled corners of the KCPR’s vast record collection!
This week’s review: Bernie Krause, “Jungle Shoes (Def Kicker Remix)” backed with “Jungle Shoes (Original Version)” and “Fish Wrap,” 1989, 12″ Single, Rykodisc.
Somehow, 25 years before the release of hit mobile video game My Singing Monsters a lone genius was already hard at work recording and sampling the sounds of the animal kingdom and turning them into music. His name is Bernie Krause (musician and soundscape ecologist), and he’s almost certainly the GOAT of whatever this is…
There are so many animals featured on this record, it’s bananas. Some of them are even quite frightening! The crisp snare drum on “Jungle Shoes” is a lion’s roar; the melody lines are coyotes and killer whales, singing in harmony.
According to the back cover, every single sound on this 12” comes from Krause’s field recordings of “animals and the natural environment.”
The picture taped to the front cover of Krause in action is a compelling indication of the kind of effort that went into this. And one can only imagine the endless hours that Krause spent back in the studio, painstakingly tweaking the growls and grunts and hisses. And in 1989, too! What a wiz.
All this considered, it’s a shame that the music isn’t a little better. Both sides of the disc are sorta non-descript dubby dance music with the occasional odd noise or avante-garde flourish. Novelty aside, it’s kinda boring. But all the proceeds went to The Nature Conservancy, and I certainly won’t be turning my snout up at a record that has a long-horned sculpin on “sustained bass,” a snapping shrimp on “swing high-hat” and a walrus on “cow bell.” From me, it gets a great big raised-flipper/outstretched-paw/thumbs-up!
