But this isn't easy listening pop music where the point is to distract the listener from the world around them or to reduce their capacity to reason. (Incessantly pounding bass that repeats the same thump, thump endlessly at excessive volume is not conducive to rational thought or behaviour.) These are compositions that challenge the listener's understanding of what music is and force us to realize that an artist's intent is just as significant as the result.
In some ways these seemingly incomprehensible expressions are far more personal statements than any conventional "song" you're liable to hear on the radio. Mofongo has deliberately chosen each sound that has gone into the composition and with each decision reveals a little bit more about the way in which his mind works and his emotional state at the time. Considering the formulaic approach to music that is the norm with so many popular songs these days, any expression of individuality is welcome no matter what form it is wrapped in.
Mofongo's music is not going to be something you put on for a casual listen, or for background listening at your next social get together. But if you ever want to get your brain ticking over in a new direction, Tumbao is something you'll want to have in your collection. Intense to the point of being almost overwhelming in places, it is music that challenges your notions of what composition is and clears up once and for all the difference between sampling and found sound creation.
Article comments
1 - ilya
There's no difference between sounds found in the street and sounds found on the records you buy on the street. Both can be legitimately used for composition. It's possible to recontextualize and alter the meaning of a piece of music by sampling it. Sometimes all that is necessary to make something perfect is just adding a different beat to it.