A few weeks back, I finally became the proud owner of an album I had been searching for for a while: Regional Zeal, Mouth Music From Olympia, Washington. Given that I am an avid collector of PNW music and, at the same time, have a fondness for all experimental music, this was something I needed to own.

Released in 1982 via Palace of Lights, this is a compilation of, you guessed it, mouth music. Basically, it is experimental abstract pieces made with looped vocals, singing, multi-tracking, processed vocals, spoken word/poetry over weird, quirky sounds. You get the point. Really interesting stuff and one of those releases that feels more like a document than an actual music album.

In the same vein, you will find the cassette-only release: Absolute Elsewhere - Unusual Music From Olympia & Seattle, WA. While this last one is more art-rock/indie-oriented, Regional Zeal relies on abstract compositions and tries to push the boundaries of music/sound as a concept.

Palace of Lights was founded in 1981 by experimental artist Kerry Leimer. He was also a member of the Savant group, a Seattle experimental electronic/leftfield act. The label was responsible for releasing Savant records, as well as a couple of compilations and solo works by associated artists such as Marc Barreca, Kerry Leimer, Roy Finch, and Robert Carlberg. This, as you can probably imagine, became a new musical rabbit hole for me. Since I am not that familiar with the Seattle ambient/electronic scene from the '80s, this label feels like a good place to start.

Back to the Regional Zeal compilation, some of the artists that contributed to the album are Steve Fisk, Cheri Knight, Alex Stahl, John Foster, and Steve Peters.

Side A starts with an ambient piece, probably tape loops through effects? We hear keys all over the place, creating a dreamy/uneasy landscape. I couldn’t distinguish any voices here. Curious how this track was made... Probably ultra-processed mouth sounds? The second track creates a dizzying sensation, with multi-tracked, looped vocals over endless, spinning delays. The third is a weird piece, like broken electronic loops with spoken words on top. The sound is moving, and the voice as well. Later, we are greeted by minimal, eerie sounds, sometimes interrupted by creepy, processed voices. On the fifth track, words are dropped over repetitive voice sounds, creating waves of textures. The first side of the album closes with pulsating currents. A broken voice repeats itself while fragmented keys are scrambling in the background.

The first three tracks of Side B follow the formula of multi-tracking/looping voice sampling. Voices create different patterns of movement, reverberating between your left and right ears. On the fourth piece, spoken words overlap with singing and synthetic noises. The fifth track is also a processed voice, with effects like delay, and the singing ends with vacuum-like effects. There are words and mumbling over minimal electronics. The album ends with a voice singing over what appear to be field recordings in the background, including what sounds like running water.

The cover art depicts two comic-abstract figures over a gray background, which was created by Dana Leigh Squires. She is also responsible for the Anonymous 7’’ cover art (a Steve Fisk-related project from 1980). The back cover contains the following notes from Steve Peters:

“This is an anthology of music dealing with various applications of the human voice - i.e., spoken, singing, multi-tracked, processed... Some of these people have appeared on other records, some have never been recorded at all until now. All are involved in various other kinds of music/activity (electronics, improvisation, rock, dance, theatre, poetry, performance, etc.), so this is in no way an accurate representation of what they all "do". What they all have in common is an interest in using voices in one way or another to make music.”

So, in case you are into lesser-known '80s experimental stuff, and you find this gem in your local record store, go grab it! Or at least give it a listen. Some copies are still available online (view Discogs listings) as well. 

See you next time!

Dan – The Sonic Mosquito

Dan Tecucianu is the creator of the audio series Sonic Mosquito, a personal collection of PNW underground, punk, grunge, and more from the '80s and beyond. Expect deep cuts, raw energy, and some gems you probably haven’t heard in a while, presented by DJ Bleek of Urban Mutant. The show airs every other Friday night, from 10:00 p.m. to 11:oo p.m. PST. The next show will be on August 21st.

For more reviews from Dan, visit thesonicmosquitosoup.wordpress.com.