“\\ what makes the music more than just a curiosity, however, is the fact that even if the instruments weren\’t so unusual, the funky grooves they conjure and the hauting wisps of melody stand up on their own. The fact that these sounds couldn\’t be made in any other way just amplifies the accomplishment of such beauty.\\”
(Andrew Choate, Signal to Noise Magazine, USA)
You can buy their Third album in iTunes: (available in iTunes) http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/krautrock/id389526062?i=389526595
Right from their website– “Worldwide one of a kind, the Vegetable Orchestra performs on instruments made of fresh vegetables. The utilization of various ever refined vegetable instruments creates a musically and aesthetically unique sound universe.
The Vegetable Orchestra was founded in 1998. Based in Vienna, the Vegetable Orchestra plays concerts in all over the world.
There are no musical boundaries for the Vegetable Orchestra. The most diverse music styles fuse here – contemporary music, beat-oriented House tracks, experimental Electronic, Free Jazz, Noise, Dub, Clicks’n’Cuts – the musical scope of the ensemble expands consistently, and recently developed vegetable instruments and their inherent sounds often determine the direction.
A concert of the Vegetable Orchestra appeals to all the senses. As an encore at the end of the concert and the video performance, the audience is offered fresh vegetable soup.
In artistic, aesthetic and infrastructural decisions of importance all members of the orchestra have their equal vote. The ensemble is a mix of people with different artistic backgrounds – musicians, visual artists, architects, designers, media artists, writers and sound poets all come together here.
The further exploration and refinement of performable vegetable music is a central part of the orchestra’s aesthetic quest. Every individual background that is brought into the project is of vital importance in sustaining the fundamental artistic objective of the Vegetable Orchestra.The broad variety of creative approaches at the same time secures the artistic autonomy of this unique ensemble.”
FAQ from the website:
WHEN WAS THE ORCHESTRA FOUNDED?
the orchestra was founded in february 1998.
WHO IS THE BOSS, THE LEADER, SPEAKER ETC. OF THE ORCHESTRA?
there is none. we are a group of self-organized women and men working collaboratively on this project.
WHO HAD THE IDEA?
we don’t remember. it is not the idea that matters it is the realization. the idea was born and carried out by a group of people, who came from different musical backgrounds (improvisation, electronics, pop, rock, punk, contemporary,……) and have worked together before in various projects.
ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT YOUR MUSIC?
yes we are. this is not a just-for-fun project.
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CD Info: “ONIONOISE is the third CD by The Vegetable Orchestra, an ensemble unique to the world of music which is committed to the exploration of the acoustic qualities of vegetables.
In addition to performing on the international concert circuit, the 12-people collective from Vienna has spent the last dozen years experimenting with the building of vegetable instruments, industriously unearthing the acoustic universe of roots and legumes, cabbages and courgettes.
All the instruments used are exclusively made from vegetables: from fresh as well as dried plant material such as carrot, leek, celery root, artichoke, dried pumpkin and onion skin. All these components are used for building organic instruments and sound generators which usually only last for one concert or one day in the studio. In addition to the vegetables, various utensils like record players or power drills are used to create unusual noises and to add unexpected texture to the music.
The sounds produced by the vegetable instruments are amazingly multi-layered: transparent & crackling, shrill & massive, dark & hypnotic, funky & groovy – a heterogeneous multitude of acoustic gems and strange, unfamiliar sounds whose organic origin is not always immediately recognizable.
The compositions are tailored to suit the specific characteristics of the vegetable instruments being used, in terms of their sonic attributes and practical considerations to optimize performance. Stylistically the music oscillates between organic pop music and aural sound experiments, with inspiration from various sources: Minimal Techno, Ambient, Noise, Pop, New and Electro-Acoustic Music.
One important characteristic of the orchestra is its collaborative self-organization. Every aspect of the CD (from compositions, photographs, cover design, to label and distribution) has been developed and decided collectively by all members of the ensemble.
This CD is an aural voyage through phantasmagorical continents of sound and imaginary gardens. Living music: multi-layered and idiosyncratic.
The elaborate Digi-Pack also includes a poster.
CD Design: Tina Frank, Elvira Stein
Photography: Alexander Koller” ___________________________________________________________________________
There is tons more fun and interesting info on the website – check it out, I think you will be glad you did! As I am writing this I am listening to the CD of Onionoise– it really is amazing- different, haunting and truly vibrates down to your stomac. I am not sure you will like it/love it (I do) but I am sure you will be fascinated! Odd and very cool! You can listen to sound bites on the website http://www.vegetableorchestra.org/sound.php
~ Hope to see you all on Friday….