Meadow Argus “The Chameleon’s Dish” cassette (Aural Canyon)

“A couple years back I was working a warehouse job that was pretty depressing, and on my way inside the building each day I’d pass this small cluster of water meters that made really cute rhythmic squeaks, sometimes with birds singing along. It was a bummer to pass this every day and only get to hear it for a second before going inside the dreary warehouse. By getting a quick field recording one day, then cutting it up into varying loops and slowing it down, I thought it would be a good meditative practice. I thought it would be funny to give it an additional layer by sampling an old guided meditation tape I found in a thrift store years ago and juxtaposing it against the pretty bleak industrial sounds I made.

I’m not really a new age guy, more than anything I really liked the guy’s voice and cadence, and funny picturing the chameleon speaking. This was also the first tape I did that basically has extensive voice samples throughout both sides, so recently I decided to go back and make an instrumental version, dubbed “The Chameleon’s Dessert”. Because the album was made on four track and not in a DAW, I had to go back to the tapes and re-mix it with the vocal track turned off. For this reason, and because I didn’t keep any notes of my knob positions, it’s a pretty different mix at times, though no new recordings were added at all.” – Tynan Krakoff, September 2024

* * *
* * *
* * *
Reviews:
“The new Meadow Argus tape layers vocals from some sort of meditation tape over vibrating industrial drone. On side A, “Color Wheel”. a calm, evenly paced voice directs you to different colors and shapes, and constantly asks how these things make you feel. Later on, he starts talking at a quicker pace and directs you to focus on a plant. I’ll be honest, I’m way more interested in focusing on the drone loops rather than the narrator. The loops are hypnotic but not smoothed out and relaxing, there’s distant squeals and shrieks which become more audible near the end. “Air to the Rock”, side B, has the same voice, talking about staring up at fluffy clouds. The music seems appropriate for skygazing but it’s still a bit abrasive, noisy, acidic, and clangy. There’s a well-timed moment of deep-inner-space trippiness before the narrator starts talking about seeing the auras of people around you. I kind of drifted out after that but I guess that’s appropriate.” – The Answer is in the Beat theanswerisinthebeat.net/2023/12/03/meadow-argus-the-chameleons-dish-tape-aural-canyon-2023/

“Somewhere in the many thrift store visits over time, i found a copy of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi ‎”The Master Speaks”. This album was made in 1967 and held a special place since it was the first i listened to with spoken instructional words for meditation and accompanying tranquil musical sounds. Fifty six years after “The Master Speaks” was made, Meadow Argus has composed a new release titled The Chameleon’s Dish. Forty five minutes of spoken meditation instruction with accompanying drone sounds. Interestingly, i think Meadow Argus’ composition does better in presentation of both words and music.

There is a cheesy place where all meditative or relaxation compositions can fall into. The Chameleon’s Dish is no where near this location. The spoken word is both hypnotizing and authoritative. Not sure if the voice is Tynan Krakoff or a long sample his has composed music to. The sounds behind the voice take everything to the next level. A droning canvass filled with electronic static, birds, an empty void echoing with darker energy. The thought of following these instructions while listening to the accompanying soundscape is a little terrifying. Not sure i want to fall into a trance and be devoured by what lurks near by. An awesome composition that strikes deep into the conscious. Thanks you Meadow Argus!” – Lost in a Sea of Sound lostseasound.blogspot.com/2023/11/meadow-argus-chameleons-dish.html