To be released Aug 2 with the Camembert Electronique label on Bandcamp.

About Real Strange Delusions

Imagine thinking multiple people are playing the role of your friend....

Or that you house has duplicated itself and another you has moved into the other house next door?

This concept album's titles refer to actual conditions that people experience. Some might happen to anyone during a migraine or bad fall, or when exposed to incredible art. Others might arise from halving a brain, temporarily from mysterious causes during adolescence, from having a persuasive partner with a delusion, from watching too much TV, from noticing being surveilled in a world that isn't as it's presented to be ... and so much more.

Each story song has a different protagonist POV singing (me) a dramatic depiction of his or her dreamlike world. Their stream of consciousness fugues are supported by lush rhythmic, electronically produced music taking advantage of modern technology, riffing off sounds like future-synth and adventuring into wilder sonic territories and consciousness vignettes. Elements of industrial, post-romantic, avant-garde soundtrack...

These are portrayals of fictional characters, and some of them are more accomplished singers than others. They're just expressing their subconscious ponderings as they work through their bewilderment. 

As always, Sound Animal music is Experimental. There are elements of ambient and dark ambient, though there's no black and white line drawn here. Some characters wander lost and wistful, wondering, bewildered in a dreamy surreal landscape with quirky, vividly colorful surprises everywhere. One trudges through an emotional storm on a cumulatively reverberating circus merry-go round in Grass is Greener Syndrome. One listens to her other self in the house next door through the pipes in Reduplicative Paramnesia. But they all do their best to adopt gracefully to their unnerving cinematic situations. Respect.
I'm a fiction writer used to empathetically entering the minds of literary characters to dramatize their experiences. These little stories are all inspired by these fascinating psychological delusions, neurological malfunctions, amazing conditions, weird syndromes, little known behaviors, common obsessions. One of the syndromes is named after what an author dramatized: The Alice in Wonderland Syndrome. A lugubrious duet between someone's hands who are perpetually fighting references a syndrome named after the film Dr. Strangelove Syndrome.

Some delusions could happen to anyone under normal circumstances, like when a fervent captor begins to favor the captive, called the Lima Delusion. (Assuming holding someone hostage for political reasons is normal for you.) That character's voice, as he urged his captive to show her love for him before he killed her, was inspired by a video of David Bowie imitating various singers, including Tom Waits.

I've known many people with delusions on this list, some closely, and I had one as well. (I’m sure we all feel a large part of the world experience Folie a Beaucoup.) Cheers to individuals who suffer from these beautifully poetic beliefs and behaviors. The characters in the songs are meant to be specific fictional stylized individuals rather than representing the groups. 

We hear people who believe they are turning into animals living in a forest, gently humming together, in Clinical Lycanthropy. And an absurd bouncy version riffing off the easily startled lumberjacks in “The Jumping Frenchmen of Maine Syndrome,” aah! ahh! ahh!

A man rants to his future afterlife slaves in “Delusions of Immortality”. He could easily be in charge of some global decisions that affect us every day. He could be the one using propaganda and theater to fool the populace into a Folie a Beaucoup. He could be the one watching the "paranoid" man in “Truman Show Delusion.”


Credit: Rosemary Bensko

Real Strange Delusions

Electric guitar, silver flute, electric water bottle, overtone drone vocal, bodhrán. Don't be coy and sweet: walk your mastodon.

Art commissioned from Grimfrost.

Walk Your Mastodon

Dystopian transhumanism.

http://www.droned.eu/ art by Waclaw Traier

Death of Ages

Plasma Fields

With XAW on drums.

Began as a jam with XAW on drums and SA on bass. SA added layers of guitar, arranged, produced.

Ambiguous

A jam with XAW on guitar and SA on silver flute and simultaneous percussion.

Nest

Which Way

By Voicelight

A Life

A.J. Kaufmann on guitar
SA on drums, keyboards, voice, lyrics, production

Be careful where you go at night
Be careful where you go at night
None of us carry a light
None of us carry a light
Till we know where they are
They'll run you down with their car
Eyeyeyeyeyeyeyeeyah
Eyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyai
Be careful where you walk tonight
Don't carry any light
They'll run you down 
They don't care, tonight, tonight
Everyone's gone a bit wild
You thought you were the only one kind of wild
But no me too
But will they do oh no 
Don't go in the alleys tonight oh oh oh oh oh oh 
Don't go in the alleys tonight 
Or you'll have quite a fright
Don't go in the alleys carrying a light 
So they know they would know they know 
And we we will not go
We will not go where they want to take us to
We know what's there at the end of the light
We ain't goin no how no we ain't gonna go
Don't take a light don't take a light into this night

Run Play Now

Carry No Light

Sound Animal X A.J. Kaufmann - Carry No Light

A.J. Kaufmann on guitar.
SA on drums, keyboards, production

Head for the Hilltops

Sound Animal X AJ Kaufmann -- Head for the Hilltops

AJ Kaufmann on bass with wah
SA on keyboards, vocals, lyrics, production. 



Alligators in the sewers gonna getcha again
They wantcher money 
Come on and gamble
You know they’re gonna win
Yeah, yeah

Hold onto your honey
The gaters are gonna grab
Gonna grab her and your money
Nab, nab, nab  

Gaters are commin’, 
Gonna gotcha now
Somehow  

Gater's got a suit on
Dandied up
Gater’s got a getcha on
Better wash up
Uhuhuhuh

Gater's gonna getcha
Gonna getcha good
Gaters’d getcha
If they only could
Again and again
Oh no

Bonkers at the end

Gaters in the Sewers Gonna Getcha Again

Sound Animal X A.J. Kaufmann - Gaters in the Sewers Gonna Getcha Again

A.J. Kaufmann on guitar
SA on drums, keyboards, production

Luster

Sound Animal X A.J. Kaufmann - Luster

Glory Storm

Sound Animal X A.J. Kaufmann - - Glory Storm

The long journey home to the families seems endless, the water, the ice, the aurora, the narrows, the memories of death and destruction, the wounds, the morphing, the crystalline flying. The memories of children back home waiting for their baubles brought from the journey. And their dreams of peacocks. 

The galleon's peacock wings flap over the water and plunge back into it, covered in ice and dark delight.

Lyrics:

Are you coming home Papa
Are you forgetting about me?
The ice drives nails into your eardrums
The ice make you forget about me.
Papa, Papa I dreamed of peacocks again.

(Peacock screams)Ah. (Peacock screams)Ah.

(Peacock screams) 
Papa where are you are? 
Did you forget my crystal galleon?
My little crystal galleon... again?
When will you love me Papa do?
When, when? (Peacock screams)

Papa where are you Papa?
Where are you?
There's ice, there's nothing but ice out there.
It's only ice and dark. It's darkness and Ice, Papa.
Come home. Come home. Come home. 
(Sounds of ice chunks hitting the galleon)

Do I see you, Papa, coming home?


Credits:

XAW on ambient drone guitar.

SA on bass, slide whistle, penny whistle, boatswain's pipe, melodica, antique wooden toy piano, voice, lyrics, production.

The Crystal Galleon

Nightwind Territories

Nightwind Territory

The interminably long hypnotic voyage of the Spanish galleons across the ocean, which is often frozen, and which sometimes can be traversed through the air when the galleon opens its peacock wings. 

The aurora australis, the wafting of the song of the captain's daughter wondering if he loves her, since he's been gone so long and now he's gone again, for so long, so long. He's on the harrowing, death defying trip to support his daughter, though she hasn't developed the maturity to fully understand that. But will he bring her a crystal replica of the galleon as a token of his affection, so she can believe he loves her?

The men all nearly die, embedded in ice on their trip for unspeakable purposes. 

When the tattered fleet pulls into the marina, the daughter waits for the crystal galleon. When she sees he has it, she believes he loves her after all.
Lyrics that are distinguishable:

Ah ooo 
Papa's little girl loves crystal galleons,
Vases and plates and chandeliers.
Papa, can you bring me a crystal galleon,
Or otherwise I'll break down in tears.

How do I know if you love me?
Because you were gone for years.

Papa's little girl loves crystal galleons,
Vases and plates and chandeliers.
Papa, can you bring me a crystal galleon,
Or otherwise I'll break down in tears.
Ah


XAW ambient drone guitar
SA bass, voice, keyboard synth, lyrics, production

Crystal Galleon

The daughter waits at home, helping out her mother, for more years without the father or any word across the sea. The polar aurora forms curtains in the sky windows that fold in upon themselves on and on.


SA on vocals, keyboards synth, lyrics, production.

Distinguishable lyrics:
And we try, we try, we try. We tried we tried we tried.

Sky Curtain

The galleon captain's daughter dreams of peacocks and morphing men. They dream of her. They all dream of the galleon, pushing through the ice and flying through the skies to its unspeakable destination. 

(Peacock cries)

XAW on ambient drone guitar
SA on boatswain's pipe, slide whistles, penny whistle, suling, wooden recorder, vocalizing and peacock screams, keyboards synth, production

Dream of Peacocks

Meanwhile the sea creatures play together, dressing up as sea captains, making fun of the galleon's drama, as they cavort among the waves.

It's a signature of Sound Animal albums that feature XAW to end with lighthearted flourish. 

XAW on laugh strategy to keep SA laughing by mimicking her laughter.
SA on laugh, keyboards, production. 

Hahahahahahaha

Sea Pals

The armada has come together and apart, flying, swimming, stuck in the ice, breaking the ice, made of ice. The wind is brisk on the cheeks. The man is dead at the helm.


SA on keyboards synth, production.

Fleet

Outlaw Edge

Sound Animal X A.J. Kaufmann - Outlaw Edge

A.J. Kaufmann on guitar
SA on drums, bass, keyboards, production

Back Room

Sound Animal X A.J. Kaufmann - Back Room

A.J. Kaufmann on guitar
SA on drums, keyboards, voice, production

Autophay

Sound Animal X A.J. Kaufmann -- Autophagy

A.J. Kaufmann on guitar. 
SA on drums, melodica, harmonica, voice, lyrics, production.

Light pouring in 
Comes pouring in
Light comes pouring in 
Eeee, light, light, through the window
Of the everyday
When you wash the dishes
Light, when you say goodnight 
Whee! Light in the middle of fright
Delight
Light, light comes pouring in 
Light, light comes pouring in
When you’re sweeping the floor
Just when you thought you couldn’t 
Stand any more, light comes pouring in
Through the window and the door
When you’re mopping the floor
Don’t forget to turn on 
The daylight
Don’t forget to turn on the you light
Against the blustery night
Light

Light Housekeeping

Sound Animal X A.J. Kaufmann - Light Housekeeping

A.J. Kaufmann on guitar. 
SA on drums, melodica, slide whistles, penny whistle, harmonica, voice, lyrics, production.

I like you a lot I like you I like you I like you lots I like you a lot I like you lots I like you a lot. Haha ahhh haha ahha I like you Ah haha Ah Yes I do like you a lot I like you a lot We’re kindred spirits you and I We’re kindred spirits you and I I like you a lot You and I Look at you all the way over there Look at you everywhere I like you very very much very much Like

Paradise Birds

Sound Animal X A. J. Kaufmann - Paradise Birds

Unimaginable

Sound Animal X A.J. Kaufmann - Unimaginable

A.J. Kaufman on guitar
SA on cajon, shaker, tambourine, bodhran, keyboards, production

Escape Vista

Sound Animal X A.J. Kaufmann - Escape Vista

The exploding head syndrome is said to affect around 10 percent of the population. Non-existent explosions are seen and heard. Sometimes voices and other sounds are hallucinated briefly.

Lyrics

(Be my baby)
The exploding head syndrome
(Be my baby)
The exploding head syndrome
The exploding head
Explode head
Told ya so 
Right? Right. Right. Right.
Pew!

Exploding Head Syndrome

Capgras Delusion is a psychiatric disorder of identification, in which the person believes someone close to him has been replaced by an imposter.

It can be brief, intense, or long-lasting. 

Sometimes they believe time has been manipulated. 

It seems to arise from structural damage to brain, such as the frontal lobe, which affects the sense of familiarity, and right hemisphere issues affecting recognizing someone by sight. (Why only people, I don't know.)

It may come about due to schizophrenia, brain trauma, dementia, neurodegenerative disease, diabetes, hypothyroidism, and migraine attacks. 

Fascinating: "Further clues to the possible causes of the Capgras delusion were suggested by the study of brain-injured patients who had developed prosopagnosia. In this condition, patients are unable to recognize faces consciously, despite being able to recognize other types of visual objects. However, a 1984 study by Bauer showed that even though conscious face recognition was impaired, patients with the condition showed autonomic arousal (measured by a galvanic skin response measure) to familiar faces,[18] suggesting that there are two pathways to face recognition—one conscious and one unconscious." Wikipedia

Lyrics

Who are you? 
You're not you.
Let me check your fingerprints again.
Who are you? 
You're not who you say you are.
You're not who you used to be.
You're an imposter, 
Aren't you, aren't you, again?

Capgras Delusion

The Fregoli Delusion is the belief that multiple people are all the same person wearing disguises or changing appearance.

The syndrome may be related to a brain lesion. 

A person suffering from the Fregoli delusion may misremember locations, things, and situations.  Any face at all resembling someone the patient knows, the patient may impose it.

Similar to Capgras delusion, it seems to be a physical problem with facial perception at the core. 

Lyrics

Who.
Why are you everyone around me?
Why are you everyone today?
You are him. 
You are her.
Put your mask away.
I don't want to play.
Hey, not today.

Fregoli Delusion

The Fregoli Delusion

Folie a Deux consists of two people who share a delusion. One person begins it and it becomes "contagious" as the other person is persuaded to take part in the fantasy and believe it. Common with people with Narcissistic Personality Disorder and their partners.

Lyrics

We live in the sea together you and I.
We live in the sea together you and I.
We couldn't live on land if we tried.
If we tried we would die.

You and I and I and you and I and you and I.

Folie a Deux

Folie A Deux

The Jumping Frenchmen of Main Condition is named after a small number of 19th-century lumberjacks who developed an exaggerated startle reflex causing them to jump, and there was also yelling, dropping, throwing, and hitting involved.

People with this condition repeat vocalizations and movements made by other people.

They were ticklish and shy.

Lyrics 

Wah! Ah! 
indistinguishable Nah! 
Parlez vous Francais? Parlez vous Francais?
Ah na! Wah! Ah! Yeah! Ha!
Parlez vous Francais? Parlez vous Francais?
indistinguishable brbrrbrrbrr
Parlez vous Francais? Parlez vous Francais?
indistinguishable Ah! hahaha! Ah!
Trees! Trees! Ah! Trees, trees, trees
indistinguishable hahahaha!
Ah! indistinguishable Argh
Trees!, trees, trees trees trees 
Trees trees trees trees trees
Trees Trees Trees
Ah! Brah! Ahbuh! Grrrrrrah! Rauh rauh 
ARggggggg, lesgrrooooo
Rllllllllll Rbrbrbrbrbrbrbrb Arrggggggggggle
Argggggrrr!
Bllllllllggggggrrrr
Fulcibible Auuuuuggggggghhhh

Jumping Frenchmen of Main Condition

Jumping Frenchmen of Maine Condition

Mirrored-self misidentification is the delusion that one's reflection is someone else. Or maybe even a younger self or other self. 

Lyrics 

What's that I see? 
Definitely not me.
Someone strange and foreign. 
Why are you not I?
Why am I not I?
Why am I not I? 
Oooo.

Why do you look like that?
I know I'd not
Want to look like that.
I feel sorry for you.
I would like you to see
How to be
So pretty
This is how
Oh, come on, now.
Just do it.
Just look like me.
Look like me.
Please.

Mirrored-Self Identification

Mirrored-Self Misidentification

The minimal repeated lyrics are simply referencing the name of the intense, great actor, Klaus Kinski. If you are fascinated by the dark and complex personality of Klaus Kinski, you might resonate with how his name is all that's needed.

KINSKI

Wonders

Passage

Photo/art by Rosemary Bensko, Olympia, WA

Streets

Everywhere

Experimental music that ranges feral beyond human constraints. 

The music covers a lot of non-genres. Multiple resonances include Dark/Ambient, Psych, Doom, Drone, Noise Rock, Kosmische, EDM, Trapwave, and Romantic Era and Post-Romantic, with special nods to the bands Swans, Earth, Caspar Brotzman Massaker. Dystopian Inspirational for noble outlaws.

Electric guitar, bass, drum kit, lap steel slide and electrified dulcimers played with a violin bow, bodhrán, Peruvian triangle drum, snare drum, silver flute, double shepherd's flute, regular duclimers, spring reverb tank, suling, jaw harp, pungi, khaen, melodica, harmonica, broken cymbal, double wind wand, recorder, boatswain's pipe, penny whistle, slide whistle, MIDI controller to trigger computer's internal synth, voice, found objects, electric tennis racket...

Labels: Kryrart Ambient, Kryrart Records, Camembert Electrique, Cousin Silas Emporium, Dark Stereo, Sounds for the Soul Records.

My name is Rosemary Bensko, and SA is my artist name. While most songs are just me, and I do all the production, when other contributors are involved, they become part of the band for those songs.

Collaborators who contribute a stem to a track or were involved in a jam are always credited: XAW, Igor Iofe, Chris Nolte,Tom McCarthy of TM's Sundae Sauce, Steve Gilmartin, Psychedelic Mayhem, The Fall of Saigon, A.J. Kaufmann, with remixes by The Infinite Wimshurst. There are also joint ventures and SA playing and singing on other people's music.

Lots of music here you won't find elsewhere. Smaller amount is also on Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube, Pandora, Last.fm, Instagram.

Sound Animal

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