Spoonbill: Zoomorphic

Jim Moynihan wandered out of the outback in 2003. Armed with a sampler and various synths constructed out of recycled copper, cyborg hearts, and the stolen innocence of schoolchildren, he proudly represents Australia on the world glitch stage. Mastered by nu-breaks guru Tipper, Spoonbill’s third album Zoomorphic is certainly his best yet.

It’s a pure head trip of mind-melting proportions. Sounds of handclaps, sirens, doorbells, champagne froth, and crushed eggshells swarm bits of slide guitar, oboe, harp, trumpet, and whistles to form one of the quirkiest glitch albums ever made. Imagine Tipper mastering a studio session with Tom Waits, Prefuse 73, and Amon Tobin, all of them in a ridiculous mood, and you’ve got the idea. One of its oddest moments, “Wonkball” is mostly constructed from the sounds of ping-pong, racquetball, and the like, along with some seriously wobbling subbase, springs being sprung, water splashes, and cartoon effects. It’s as amusing as it is groovy. To be sure, Zoomorphic is utterly insane in the best sense of the term.