https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1339673016479699&set=a.126297771150569

Makunouchi Bento, the duo of Felix Petrescu and Valentin Toma from Timișoara in Romania, created these short electronic tracks for an Augmented Reality application called ‘De la Neacșu la AR’, or ‘From Neacșu to AR’, created by the Reniform software developer team—see: https://reniform.ro/de-la-neacsu-la-ar/. The fifteen 2mn excerpts collected here are ungraspable, unreal aural vignettes floating in mid-air without beginning nor end. Presumably the musicians were requested to compose endlessly playing themes, conveniently adjustable to the app’s virtual world. As a result these tracks may seem a bit disorienting at first, appearing out of nowhere and disappearing in a sonic haze. Indeed, the ensemble works as an hypnagogic promenade in an impossible landscape, ripe with Surrealist undertones. Recurring themes of blown pipes and chimes contribute to the dream-like quality of the music, as do the occasional, disembodied human voice samples. This music exists somewhere between ambient, soundtrack and music concrete styles. I find the magic works wonderfully in the opening and closing tracks, so make sure to give them a listen.