It's Understood is Estradasphere

Estradasphere

Estradasphere was an experimental band that originated in Santa Cruz, California during the late 1990s. The band, which in its last incarnation was based in Seattle, consisted of 6 multi-instrumentalists from a variety of musical backgrounds trained in disciplines ranging from classical music and...

's first studio album. It was released on Mimicry Records on June 26, 2000.

Notably, the first track on the album, "Hunger Strike", sets the tone of Estradasphere by covering a wide range of musical genres. The song is just less than twenty minutes long and is the longest studio recording of an Estradasphere song.

Tracks 6-9 are songs that form the four part composition titled "The Princes of Xibalba".

Tracks 2 and 11 are not performed, but electronically sequenced by Tim Smolens

Tim Smolens

Tim Smolens is an American bass player, most notably a contributor to the artistic output of bands such as Estradasphere, Secret Chiefs 3, and Fishtank Ensemble, primarily as a bassist and songwriter...

 and parody the music from popular video games such as Super Mario Bros

Super Mario Bros.

is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...

.

Track 12 was recorded at a violin recital for Estradasphere member Timb Harris

Timb Harris

Timb Harris is a violinist, best known for his work with the eclectic Santa Cruz-based band Estradasphere ....

. All other tracks were recorded at ROHYPONOL_Studios911 in 1999.

Track listing

1. "Hunger Strike" (Jason Schimmel
   Jason Schimmel
   Jason Schimmel is best known as the guitarist and co-founder of the eclectic Santa Cruz band Estradasphere. He is also involved with Don Salsa, Secret Chiefs 3 and the Santa Cruz White Album Ensemble. He can also play the banjo and piano. He is well known for his versatile playing style,...
   
    and Estradasphere) – 19:30
2. "Cloud Land" (Tim Smolens) – 1:04
3. "The Transformation" (Schimmel) – 8:25
4. "Danse of Tosho and Slavi/Randy's Desert Adventure" (John Whooley
   John Whooley
   John Whooley, now John Whoolilurie, is a California-based musician best known for playing the saxophone and other instruments with the band Estradasphere...
   
    and Schimmel) (Lyrics by David Murray
   David Murray (drummer)
   David Murray is a Californian musician, best known for his career as a drummer, although he is also a composer and didjeriduist. He was the original drummer for Estradasphere and both performed and composed on all of the band's albums up until the new 2004 lineup...
   
   ) – 7:29
5. "The Trials and Tribulations of Parking On Your Front Lawn" (Public Domain) – 4:14

   
   

The Princes of Xibalba – 11:28

6. "The Princes" (Smolens) – 2:24
7. "Los Dias Sin Dias" (Smolens) – 2:52
8. "XQuiQ" (Smolens) – 2:43
9. "Hunnahpu and Xbalanque" (Smolens) – 3:29

   
   

10. "Spreading The Disease" (Murray, Smolens and G. Light) – 8:10
11. "Planet Sparkle/Court Yard Battle 1" (Smolens) – 2:21
12. "D♭ Hell" (Whooley and Schimmel) – 12:16

The band

• David Murray
  David Murray (drummer)
  David Murray is a Californian musician, best known for his career as a drummer, although he is also a composer and didjeriduist. He was the original drummer for Estradasphere and both performed and composed on all of the band's albums up until the new 2004 lineup...
  
   – drums, didgeridoo
  Didgeridoo
  The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
  
  , flute, jaminator, vocals
• Tim Smolens
  Tim Smolens
  Tim Smolens is an American bass player, most notably a contributor to the artistic output of bands such as Estradasphere, Secret Chiefs 3, and Fishtank Ensemble, primarily as a bassist and songwriter...
  
   – bass, throat, vocals, keyboard
• Jason Schimmel
  Jason Schimmel
  Jason Schimmel is best known as the guitarist and co-founder of the eclectic Santa Cruz band Estradasphere. He is also involved with Don Salsa, Secret Chiefs 3 and the Santa Cruz White Album Ensemble. He can also play the banjo and piano. He is well known for his versatile playing style,...
  
   – guitars, banjo, piano, vocals
• John Whooley
  John Whooley
  John Whooley, now John Whoolilurie, is a California-based musician best known for playing the saxophone and other instruments with the band Estradasphere...
  
   – saxophones, vocals, percussion
• Timb Harris
  Timb Harris
  Timb Harris is a violinist, best known for his work with the eclectic Santa Cruz-based band Estradasphere ....
  
   – violin, trumpet, mandolin, vocals

Additional musicians

• Aaron Seeman – accordion on tracks 1, 4, 5
• MonoMan (TM) – positive feedback on track 12
• Joel Robinow – lead vocals on track 3
• Luke Kirley – trombone on track 3
• George – mystery rap on track 3

Estradasphere circus

• Atrocity & the Death Metal Cheerleaders
• Gren Enyan – Yoga & Spiritual Advisor
• David Poznanter – Balloons, Unicycle & Juggling
• MonoMan (TM) – Disease Transmission
• Soren – Gorilla Suit Guy
• Kim – Chair Massage
• Erin Wood – Pentagram & Sword
• James Vergon – Fan That Wouldn't Go Away
• Iris – Belly Dancing
• George – Book
• Isaac & Jessica – Fire Dancers

Audio

• Produced and Engineered by Tim Smolens
• Mixed by Tim Smolens and Trey Spruance
  Trey Spruance
  Preston Lea Spruance III or "Trey Spruance" is an American composer, producer, and musician, perhaps best known as the leader of the multi-genre outfit Secret Chiefs 3 and for his work as guitarist and keyboardist with Mr. Bungle...
  
  
• Mastered by George Horn, February 2000

Various

• Art Direction – David Murray
• Cover Design – Arena Reed
• Design Assist – Margaret Murray
• Cover Photo – Joey Ryken
• Burning Man Stage – James Vergen
• Group Photos – Greg Enyart & Janette Jancovicova
• MonoMan (TM) – David Murray
• Death Metal Cheerleaders – Naiya C.
• Spreading the Disease – David Murray