LP
Bella Union (2019) EU
The Flaming Lips' fifteenth album King's Mouth follows the band's 2017 release, Oczy Mlody and and sees the iconoclastic outfit once again tread uncharted territory. These 12 new originals are threaded together by cinematic narration courtesy of The Clash's Mick Jones. Additionally, the music parallels front man Wayne Coyne's immersive art installation of the same name.
Introduced in 2015, the installation has showcased its psychedelic visuals and soundscapes through North America in museums such as Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, NM, the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, MD, the Pacific Northwest College of Art Portland, OR and Wayne's own creative space, The Womb, in Oklahoma City, OK. A true handcrafted marvel, it consists of a giant metallic head that welcomes spectators inside. Once inside of the foam month, an LED lightshow begins in tandem with music from the album. Now, the record doubles as the sonic companion to the exhibit and allows fans to experience the aural side at any time.
Further expanding this multi-faceted world and detailing a fascinating creation myth, the accompanying literary tome, King's Mouth: Immerse Heap Trip Fantasy Experience tells the story of the King's Mouth through words and visuals by Coyne, adds yet another dimension to the project, which ranks among the band's most ambitious thus far. Coyne notes, "The King's Mouth immersive/child-like qualities are born from the same spark and womb as Flaming Lips live performances. The King's Mouth adventure was made for humans of all sizes, ages, cultures, and religions."