Professor Ping - A Bogus Year Of Botched Lullabies

Having had the pleasure of playing in a band with ZeKeith McFisto, I was very curious to hear what this master of "prepared guitar" would cook up as a solo endeavour under the pseudonym of Professor Ping.  ZeKeith was such a joy to play/perform with because of his unhindered dedication to unconventionality as a player.  While the rest of us were getting weird with pedals and indulging in sonic depravity, ZeKeith opted for angular approaches to the guitar itself, pushing the limits of the physical instrument to achieve unique tone and abstract counterparts.

That being said, Professor Ping is anything but a "guitar-based" project.  A smattering of otherworldly samples, hypnotic grooves, haunting vocals, cinematic stabs, and modular synth emulators coalesce to create an unsettling universe of aural exploration.  I hate to trot out tired references but I imagine this is what it would sound like if The Residents got really good at using Ableton.  The care taken in how space is used should not be lost on the listener, particularly in the back half of the album.  Tracks like "[thematic] II", "Chihuly Mammoth", and "The Storm Before The Calm Before The Storm (For Z)" have a minimalist approach but the landscape slowly evolves and the placement of sound constantly shifts throughout the pieces, creating an immersive experience.

Stray thoughts:

"Chihuly Mammoth" makes me think of someone making sweet love to a Buchla in a Siberian cave.

I had to double check my iTunes shuffle was off when "On The Influence Of Milton Friedman" came on because I thought I was listening to Negativland for a minute

If there is anything resembling a banger on this album it is "My Lyfe n the Bush of Farscists." Infectious head bopper for sure.

The closing track is an acapella warning that is as much harrowing as it is hilarious.

Listen/buy Prof Ping