Flying Microtonal Banana


Flying Microtonal Banana is the ninth studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. It was released on 24 February 2017 on Flightless Records in Australia, ATO Records in the United States, and Heavenly Recordings in the United Kingdom. It is the first of five albums released by the band in 2017.
The album earned the band a nomination for Best Group at the ARIA Music Awards of 2017, losing to Gang of Youths for Go Farther in Lightness.

Music

Subtitled Explorations into Microtonal Tuning, Volume 1, the album is recorded in quarter tone tuning, where an octave is divided into 24 equal-distanced quarter tones; it was originally conceived to play on a baglama, so the band members used instruments specifically modified for microtonal tuning. The name "Flying Microtonal Banana" comes from Stu Mackenzie's custom-built yellow guitar, fitted with additional microtonal frets.
The album has been described as psychedelic rock, acid rock and experimental rock, with elements of krautrock and Middle Eastern/Turkish music.

Reception

Upon its release, Flying Microtonal Banana received positive reviews from music critics. On Metacritic, the album holds an average critic score of 72 out of 100, based on 15 reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews".
AllMusic's Tim Sendra wrote, "it's clear that the experiment was a success and that the microtuned instruments fit in perfectly with their oddball aesthetic" describing the melodies as "more exotic and complex" compared to previous albums. While comparing it unfavourably to its predecessor, Pitchfork contributor Stuart Bremen still commended the album, writing "if Flying Microtonal Banana’s randomized approach is ultimately less transfixing than Nonagon Infinity’s maniacal focus, it nonetheless shows that, after eight previous albums, this band’s creativity and curiosity knows no bounds, and their singular balance of anarchy and accessibility is still in check. So even if you don’t understand the first thing about microtonality, there’s still plenty of flying banana here to keep you amused."

Accolades

Track listing

Vinyl releases have tracks 1–3 on side A, and tracks 4–9 on side B.

Personnel

Credits for Flying Microtonal Banana adapted from liner notes.
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
Production