With a name like Toxic Chicken and Mentally Sound, I had no idea if the musician was trying to convince themselves of their own mental stability or not. And that cover image is a little freaky. Toxic Chicken’s new release, coming out on 16 April on the Earthrid label, is one of those surprises that come from the left, jab you in the face and leave you feeling great afterwards. You are even thankful they have dislodged a few teeth while they were at it.
Mentally Sound is a funky, up-beat journey into experimental music which does not take itself too seriously. It actually sounds like Toxic Chicken was having a tonne of fun writing and playing this album. Thirteen tracks machine-gun you through just over thirty-one minutes of sound. The pace is frenetic and you just can’t settle into one track for very long. In contrast to the name, the pace is anything but mentally sound. And it is great! This album has the energy of someone who has downed six large coffees for breakfast and washed them down with two bottles of Boost cola.
The range of sounds packed into this album is mind-blowing. From chiptune-like notes to pianos and everything in between, each track is a delightful unknown with something new to offer with each listening. The music and the percussions weave into each other, creating a tapestry of sound modern, edgy and just plain fun. “Duster” is one track with a whole galaxy of sound crammed into the sardine tin of its two and a half minute lifespan. There are times when Mentally Sound touches on the deep and sonorous, such as “Zemelaar”, but in no way does that take away from the sheer enjoyment and happiness infusing the whole album.
“Hofnar” is an interval in the album, coming in at track nine. It is slightly more sombre in the sense it dials back the euphoria just a little. With deep bass notes and a rhythmic overtone of synths hooting, mixed in with more notes and chords, the track provides something of an interlude, leading into “Verduister”, the one track that uses sampled vocalisations. These two tracks give you a short break before “Pril Geluk” launches you back into the stratosphere of your own bliss.
Mentally Sound is nothing if not eclectic in its range and exploration of what it means to make music and connect with the listeners. I would even defy someone to keep a bad mood after listening to this album. I have found the perfect cure for Mondayitis. Toxic Chicken has created something infectiously fun and wonderful. The entire vibe of Mentally Sound has a massive gulf between it and other experimental albums. This is sonic joy. Dentists should be playing this album in their waiting rooms.
Toxic Chicken has crafted an album of the likes I have not heard before. And it has been a delight, an experience, to listen to it and get a taste for Toxic Chicken’s art. This is emotion in sound. For anyone having a crap day, this is the music for you. Toxic Chicken has made the world seem a little less of a cesspit in just over thirty-one minutes. This is auditory penicillin.
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I am still listening to this album! It is a trip!