This is a CD-length audio-book (text included) by Greg Fox (words and music). It concerns a forensic psychologist who is an inexplicable social outcast, making his way in life then mysteriously dying, his only friend being of course his greatest failure: to rehabilitate the mysterious 'Roge'. Fits onto one audio CD. Distribute freely.
nb. To download the files, please use the links lower down the page, not the streaming MP3/M3U playlist links on the left of the page, as these seem to only point to track one rather than the whole item (this will probably be corrected in due course). To simplify matters I've also put links to the tracks in MP3 format in the "extra details / notes" paragraph for this album.
This is the audio-book version of my short story "Malhaus". The music was written using chance operations and sampled guitars and flutes mainly, with some other elements. For more information on the compositional structure, see the listing for the Instrumental Version of this album.
The story concerns a young immigrant forensic psychologist (it's not actually based on such a person that I do really know - only random elements were combined and re-combined, and it has no relation to anyone living or dead, especially the prison aspect!!) who seems inexplicably hated by more or less everyone. There's Kafkan overtones early on and a dose of the "nanny state", but it's by no means a critique of all that jazz..... the text is also available in Rich Text Format and it's probably wise to read whilst listening the first time, because some of the silly voices are very silly and you might have a job hearing them clearly (especially the deep ones).
It fits onto an audio CD and I'm entirely happy for you to copy it, burn it, reverse engineer it, play it on oil rigs (or in prison??) or rent it to your friends for payment in kind. I really don't care frankly. Reviews are obviously most welcome, as are re-recordings with proper narrators.
There will be a true "open source audio" version of this project released by the end of April 2006 called the Malhaus Construction Kit, which will enable end-user compilation of the elements of the piece to make less orthodox audio-books, et cetera.
For now, this is the straightforward version and I hope it appeals to some of your senses of humour.
This is a nice blending of witty prose about
our world's possible future done weirdly (with pitch-shifted vocals! What glory!) with minimalist indeterminate music done weirdly
(those vocals! Those sound effects! That amazing reverb!)
Indeterminate music is difficult to digest,
but probably worth the effort, and having the
more accesible audiobook mixed with it makes
a better introduction to the unfamiliar listener
(like myself) than straight up Hardcore Minimalism.
Fox isn't that bad a writer, either, although
by no means the next Nobel Lit prize winner.
Decent dry humor, satire. Could make an interesting movie.
Overall, Fox lacks taste in being so inaccesible
and cheesy and gratuitously profane, but does so in an adventurous and fun way, like Andy Partridge
tastelessness, which beats tasteful blandness
any day.
I'd recommend it.
One note, reading along definitely worthwhile,
but you may find some unintentional humor if
you don't know what's going on the first time.
The choice is yours, but overall, reading along
is the better experience.
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