Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis)
Encyclopedia
Note: Track 8 starts out with the Giant Robot theme, that is also featured on Buckethead's Bucketheadland
album. The track also contains a version of one of the many themes Akira Ifukube
wrote for Toho
production's Godzilla
films.
Praxis
.
The song was a natural choice to promote the band's debut album as well as Bill Laswell
's new label Axiom
since it was the only song of the album to contain lyrics. The vocals were done by former P-Funk
member Bootsy Collins
who also plays "space bass" while his P-Funk colleague Bernie Worrell
can be heard on keyboards. Furthermore the core members, San Francisco Bay Area
musicians Bryan "Brain" Mantia
(drums) and Buckethead
(guitars) plus mastermind Bill Laswell
(samples) were reinforced by turntablist
Af Next Man Flip (aka Afrika Baby Bam
of the Jungle Brothers
).
The single includes three different versions of the title track written by Collins, Laswell and Buckethead, an edited album version from Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis), a short radio edit and a third version that was used for the music video. The original seven minute album version was also released on the EP
A Taste of Mutation
in the same year and later included to the Axiom compilation Funkcronomicon
in 1995 while the video edit was re-released in 1993 on Manifestation: Axiom Collection II. The song also was included as the last part of the suite "Cosmic Trigger" on the album Axiom Ambient - Lost in the Translation in 1994.
, footage of guitarist Buckethead
moving around and a monster made out of trash.
When singer Bootsy Collins
starts singing the first verse, another monster made out of soda cans appears. The video later shows how Buckethead
fights the first robot with his severed hand but the monster manages to decapitate him. After that the band is shown playing the song in night vision. A scarecrow with a square head appears when the mellow part of the song starts. The members of the band are shown against a sunset background. The video ends with still shots of all the band members and the music fading out. The video clip was played on MTV
's Amp
and was included in Buckethead's 2006 DVD Secret Recipe
.
Bucketheadland
Bucketheadland is the debut album by musician Buckethead, released on John Zorn's Japanese record label Avant in 1992. It features several samples of the 1960s Japanese television series Giant Robot amongst guitar riffs by Buckethead...
album. The track also contains a version of one of the many themes Akira Ifukube
Akira Ifukube
was a Japanese composer of classical music and film scores, perhaps best known for his work on the soundtracks of the Godzilla movies by Toho.-Biography:...
wrote for Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
production's Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
films.
Personnel
- Praxis:
- Bootsy CollinsBootsy CollinsWilliam Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk...
- space bass, vocals. - BucketheadBucketheadBrian Carroll , better known by his stage name Buckethead, is a guitarist and multi instrumentalist who has worked within several genres of music. He has released 34 studio albums, four special releases and one EP. He has performed on over 50 more albums by other artists...
- guitar, toys. - BrainBryan MantiaBryan "Brain" Mantia is a contemporary rock drummer. He has played with bands like Primus, Guns N' Roses, Praxis and Godflesh, and with other popular performers such as Tom Waits, Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins and Buckethead...
- drums. - Bernie WorrellBernie WorrellGeorge Bernard "Bernie" Worrell, Jr. is an American keyboardist and composer best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic...
- synthesizer, clavinet & vital organ. - AF Next Man Flip (Lord of the Paradox) - turntable, mixer.
- also known as Afrika Baby BamAfrika Baby BamNathaniel Hall better known by his stage name Afrika Baby Bam, is an American hip hop artist, born in Brooklyn, New York, and was part of the hip-hop group the Jungle Brothers. He was named in honor of Afrika Bambaataa. Afrika Baby Bam is known to constantly reinvent himself as an artist both...
of the Jungle BrothersJungle BrothersThe Jungle Brothers are an American hip hop group that pioneered the fusion of jazz and hip-hop and also became the first hip-hop group to use a house-music producer. The group began performing in the mid-1980s and released its first album, Straight Out the Jungle, in July 1988...
- also known as Afrika Baby Bam
- Bootsy Collins
- Recorded at Greenpoint Studios, Brooklyn, New York.
- Conceived and constructed by Bill LaswellBill LaswellBill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
.
Animal Behavior single
Animal Behavior is the first and only single by supergroupSupergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
Praxis
Praxis (band)
Praxis was the name of an ever-changing musical project, led by prolific producer Bill Laswell. Praxis combine elements of different musical genres such as funk, jazz, hip-hop and heavy metal into highly improvised music...
.
The song was a natural choice to promote the band's debut album as well as Bill Laswell
Bill Laswell
Bill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
's new label Axiom
Axiom (record label)
Axiom was a record label founded by musician Bill Laswell in 1989, with the support of Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records. Axiom was an independent subdivision of Blackwell's Island Records, with Laswell being afforded a budget for a certain number of albums each year, basically of his own...
since it was the only song of the album to contain lyrics. The vocals were done by former P-Funk
P-Funk
P-Funk is a shorthand term for the repertoire and performers associated with George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic collective and the distinctive style of funk music they performed...
member Bootsy Collins
Bootsy Collins
William Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk...
who also plays "space bass" while his P-Funk colleague Bernie Worrell
Bernie Worrell
George Bernard "Bernie" Worrell, Jr. is an American keyboardist and composer best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic...
can be heard on keyboards. Furthermore the core members, San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
musicians Bryan "Brain" Mantia
Bryan Mantia
Bryan "Brain" Mantia is a contemporary rock drummer. He has played with bands like Primus, Guns N' Roses, Praxis and Godflesh, and with other popular performers such as Tom Waits, Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins and Buckethead...
(drums) and Buckethead
Buckethead
Brian Carroll , better known by his stage name Buckethead, is a guitarist and multi instrumentalist who has worked within several genres of music. He has released 34 studio albums, four special releases and one EP. He has performed on over 50 more albums by other artists...
(guitars) plus mastermind Bill Laswell
Bill Laswell
Bill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
(samples) were reinforced by turntablist
Turntablism
Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer.The word 'turntablist' was coined in 1995 by DJ Babu to describe the difference between a DJ who just plays records, and one who performs by touching and moving the records, stylus and mixer...
Af Next Man Flip (aka Afrika Baby Bam
Afrika Baby Bam
Nathaniel Hall better known by his stage name Afrika Baby Bam, is an American hip hop artist, born in Brooklyn, New York, and was part of the hip-hop group the Jungle Brothers. He was named in honor of Afrika Bambaataa. Afrika Baby Bam is known to constantly reinvent himself as an artist both...
of the Jungle Brothers
Jungle Brothers
The Jungle Brothers are an American hip hop group that pioneered the fusion of jazz and hip-hop and also became the first hip-hop group to use a house-music producer. The group began performing in the mid-1980s and released its first album, Straight Out the Jungle, in July 1988...
).
The single includes three different versions of the title track written by Collins, Laswell and Buckethead, an edited album version from Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis), a short radio edit and a third version that was used for the music video. The original seven minute album version was also released on the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
A Taste of Mutation
A Taste of Mutation
A Taste of Mutation is an EP by supergroup Praxis, released in 1992 through Bill Laswell's label Axiom and featuring four songs from their debut album Transmutation .-Track listing:-Personnel:* Praxis:...
in the same year and later included to the Axiom compilation Funkcronomicon
Funkcronomicon
Funkcronomicon is a 1995 various artists collection of tracks produced by Bill Laswell under the name Axiom Funk, after Laswell's associated record label. It is a 2-CD set that was released by Island Records...
in 1995 while the video edit was re-released in 1993 on Manifestation: Axiom Collection II. The song also was included as the last part of the suite "Cosmic Trigger" on the album Axiom Ambient - Lost in the Translation in 1994.
Track listing
Video
A video was released for promoting the album and single. It features frequent scenes shot in night visionNight vision
Night vision is the ability to see in low light conditions. Whether by biological or technological means, night vision is made possible by a combination of two approaches: sufficient spectral range, and sufficient intensity range...
, footage of guitarist Buckethead
Buckethead
Brian Carroll , better known by his stage name Buckethead, is a guitarist and multi instrumentalist who has worked within several genres of music. He has released 34 studio albums, four special releases and one EP. He has performed on over 50 more albums by other artists...
moving around and a monster made out of trash.
When singer Bootsy Collins
Bootsy Collins
William Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk...
starts singing the first verse, another monster made out of soda cans appears. The video later shows how Buckethead
Buckethead
Brian Carroll , better known by his stage name Buckethead, is a guitarist and multi instrumentalist who has worked within several genres of music. He has released 34 studio albums, four special releases and one EP. He has performed on over 50 more albums by other artists...
fights the first robot with his severed hand but the monster manages to decapitate him. After that the band is shown playing the song in night vision. A scarecrow with a square head appears when the mellow part of the song starts. The members of the band are shown against a sunset background. The video ends with still shots of all the band members and the music fading out. The video clip was played on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Amp
Amp (TV series)
Amp was a music video program on MTV that aired from 1997 to 2001. It was aimed at the electronic music and rave crowd and was responsible for exposing many electronica acts to the mainstream. When co-creator Todd Mueller left the show in 1998, it was redubbed Amp 2.0. The show aired some 46...
and was included in Buckethead's 2006 DVD Secret Recipe
Secret Recipe (Buckethead DVD)
Secret Recipe is a two disc DVD set by musician Buckethead, containing a compilation of video and music clips, photos, artwork and concert footage documenting the guitarist's first 13 years as a performer....
.
Personnel
- BucketheadBucketheadBrian Carroll , better known by his stage name Buckethead, is a guitarist and multi instrumentalist who has worked within several genres of music. He has released 34 studio albums, four special releases and one EP. He has performed on over 50 more albums by other artists...
: guitar, toys - Bootsy CollinsBootsy CollinsWilliam Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk...
: space bass, vocals - Bernie WorrellBernie WorrellGeorge Bernard "Bernie" Worrell, Jr. is an American keyboardist and composer best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic...
: synthesizer, clavinet, vital organ - Af Next Man FlipJungle BrothersThe Jungle Brothers are an American hip hop group that pioneered the fusion of jazz and hip-hop and also became the first hip-hop group to use a house-music producer. The group began performing in the mid-1980s and released its first album, Straight Out the Jungle, in July 1988...
(Lord of The Paradox): turntable, mixer - BrainBryan MantiaBryan "Brain" Mantia is a contemporary rock drummer. He has played with bands like Primus, Guns N' Roses, Praxis and Godflesh, and with other popular performers such as Tom Waits, Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins and Buckethead...
: drums - Bill LaswellBill LaswellBill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
: samples, sounds