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Charles Bonnet

from Liminal by Sound Animal

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Includes a large variety of instruments such as harmonica, pungi, khaen, Greek double shepherd’s flute, and so on, though the focus is vocals. Creates a sense of a liminal space of a man who doesn’t have the chance to use ordinary senses but inhabits a richly strange world of sense and nonsense.

Background about the historical figure for specific context regarding the words in the piece that are meant to be his thoughts in French and others in English, which you may or may not be able to make out:

Family:

The family had been driven into Geneva by religious persecution of Protestants in the 16th century. He was born there in 1720. Charles and his wife adopted Madame Bonnet's nephew, a famous scientist.

Blindness:

Deaf from childhood, this fascinating historical figure also lost his eyesight. He discovered a syndrome that later was named after him, in which people who go blind, like his grandfather, hallucinate, because the brain is used to seeing images.

Science:

While he still could, he studied insects and was influenced by his uncle Abraham Trembley, who discovered the hydra, which is a creature which can regenerate itself. Charles Bonnet studied reproduction, fusion and regenerating missing body parts in not only hydra but also other living things. Bonnet discovered that the breathing of insects, caterpillars and butterflies occurs through pores, called spiracles. He made many other discoveries, but these are the only ones I’ll mention here as they are relevant to the vocals.

Philosophy:

After he lost too much of his sight to continue scientific analysis even with the help of assistants, he turned to philosophy and metaphysics. Again, he had many theories, but relevant to the vocals are his belief in the homunculous. “Oh, to be a homunculus” he says in this song. His idea is that all woman hold future generations inside as tiny homunculi. And that after a catastrophe of Biblical proportions, men would become angels and animals would grow in sentience.

credits

from Liminal, released November 5, 2022

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Sound Animal Berkeley, California

Ranges feral beyond traditional human constraints.

Many non-genres. Khaen, pungi, bass, guitar, flutes, melodica, harmonica, bodhran, cajon...

SA produces; most is solo. Collaborators: Igor Iofe, Steve Gilmartin, XAW, A.J. Kaufmann, Infinite Wimshurst, Psychedic Mayhem, The Fall of Saigon, Tom McCarthy, Chris Nolte.

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