GEIGER VON MÜLLER – Alien Fig Yoghurt Incident / Origins #5 (Pelso Remix)

It takes all of a second to realise that, in terms of guitar instrumentals, Geiger Von Müller’s ‘Alien Fig Yoghurt Incident’ isn’t entirely of this world. It opens with a flurry of insanely high pitched harmonics, creating more of a mood than a melody. This immediately catches the ear, but makes the listener wonder where things are actually headed. A saner guitarist might flesh out such a technique with a couple of broad chords to make things palatable, but not this guy…

Müller then adds extra texture by offering a slide note that’s more akin to a quick interjection from a swanee whistle, then drops into a semi-atonal descending melody that uses the slide to add Hawaiian influences. There’s a melody growing, but again, it’s not from your typical school of guitar based instrumentals. Either you’re fully on board at this point, or you’ve found yourself a little unnerved and gone elsewhere in search of something a little more accessible.

For the entertainment/bemusement of those still paying attention, Müller then builds upon his worlds of disjointed sounds with the arrival of a couple of more traditional chords to lay the foundations for more strange slide sounds, creating a disquieting sci-fi inspired soundscape that’s both haunting and fascinating. Just after two minutes in, Müller finally gives a concession to something more familiar when the high pitched harmonics make a triumphant return, showing how this isn’t just an improvised piece. He then uses those to share a particularly off-kilter waltz tune, which makes his work sound like the evil twin of something from the Freddie Phillips Trumptonshire scores, leading to a climax that’s fairly unnerving, yet at the same time, rather cool.

This is an interesting track since it manages to feel relatively busy, but somehow minimalist at the same time. It plays like something based on one of Buckethead’s quieter pieces, in that elements of jazz and soundtrack work bleed heavily into a world of the avant-garde. For those who enjoy guitar work that’s unafraid to push boundaries, it’ll definitely entertain, with or without the help of an easy hook.

At the beginning of 2025, ‘Alien Fig Yoghurt Incident’ was being used to promote Geiger’s 2022 release ‘Slide Guitar Sonatas II’ (where, in typically obtuse style, the piece can be found under the title ‘Blue Moon Frequency #4’), but for those who didn’t need the timely reminder, the re-presented track found itself coupled with something new.

A previously unavailable ‘Pelso Remix’ of ‘Origins #5’ offers something distinctly different to the corresponding album cut. The original recording leaned heavily on deep, almost swamp-blues influenced sounds creating an extended intro for the brilliant Elmore James inspired ‘Mudslide’. The remix builds the elements into a full three minute piece, allowing it to stand alone. The deep notes are now deeper, almost sounding as if they’ve been transposed to piano, whilst various slide guitar sounds layer a world of pointed noise. Set against a slow, trip hop beat, Müller’s work occasionally has the air of a manipulated elastic band, but there’s plenty about this remix that works. That becomes plainly obvious during the latter part of the recording when the sharper elements subside to reveal something that sounds as if its been lifted from the world of acid jazz, offering the listener more of a chill out melody, somewhat unexpectedly. Considering the sparsity and brevity of the album recording, this remix works brilliantly.

These two pieces are vastly different, but still feel like they compliment each other. In a little over six minutes, this digital release also gives a broad insight into Müller’s talent, and how the minimalism of harmonics and slide can create a whole soundscape when approached without restraint and a disregard for boundaries. Whether or not you’ve already experienced ‘Slide Sonatas II’, this is a recommended download.

January 2025