Mumbling is a 20th century cultural phenomenon. Ever since we were children, my brother and I were chastised for muttering half-formed words in front of our parents. I guess they thought it was a sign that we lacked the energy, ability, or manners to articulate words in a way that would facilitate clear communication with others. It is certainly a form of withholding that can be frustrating. At the time, we were surrounded by drawl: when I imagine a quintessential alternative icon from the late 90s, I never hear their consonants. Since then, 'Mumble Rappers' have forged a far more radical sonic language in the murky corners of Soundcloud than decades of avant garde extended vocal techniques. (Robert Ashley is their grandfather).
On reimagines mumbling within a choral framework. The voices sit in their most hushed, unprojected state, in which blemishes ornament the sound of unformed text. The instruments splutter and murmur alongside them, all held within rigid structural containers that cut between one another over the course of this 12' piece.

