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Claypool Lennon Delirium mixes weird, trippy rock
By John Benson
On paper, a musical union between Les Claypool and Sean Lennon makes total sense. Both are inherently esoteric artists bent on creativity and pushing the boundaries of contemporary music.
However, it wasn’t until last summer when Claypool’s Primus and Lennon’s Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger were touring together that such a bond was cemented over the ability to create whale noises on the fly.
“Les is always jamming backstage,” said Lennon, calling from New York City. “He always has an acoustic bass or something going on. So I wound up getting to jam with him a little bit, and that kind of evolved into him inviting me on stage to play his song ‘Southbound Pachyderm,’ which is my favorite Primus song.”
Considering Lennon had never played the song, let alone with Primus, he admitted to being a little bit nervous before going onstage. Then Claypool set his mind at ease with a directive that Lennon immediately understood.
“I was like, ‘What do you want me to play? He was like, ‘Make whale sounds,’” Lennon laughed. “I was like, I know exactly what to do. That’s my area of expertise, whale sounds. So I made a bunch of weird, trippy noises and he liked it.”
Weird and trippy are the perfect descriptors for the new incarnation the Claypool Lennon Delirium. The outfit, which plays Friday at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park, recently released its debut, “Monolith of Phobos.”
The album is billed as a psychedelic space rock record, with Lennon stressing the effort isn’t a retro affair. Instead, the tunes possess what he called “a very post-modern sound.” Standout tracks include the epic-sounding “Captain Lariat” and “Bubbles Burst.” The latter track details Lennon’s memory of meeting Michael Jackson’s famous chimpanzee.
“I was 11 years old, so meeting a baby chimp, that’s like a dream,” Lennon said. “There was Bubbles and a boa constrictor. And the house was a miniature Disneyland. It was fun and weird, too. It was memorable.”
As far as the Claypool Lennon Delirium set list, Lennon said there are album tracks as well as a few surprise covers. Looking ahead, what remains to be seen is whether the Claypool Lennon Delirium is a one-off project or ends up blossoming into something larger.
“Let’s just say Les is musically a polygamist, even though he’s been in one marriage his whole life,” Lennon said. “Musically, he’s polyamorous. He likes to have lots of different projects going on, and I kind of relate to that, too.
“This project has sort of like eclipsed what might have been just a side project. It’s kind of turning into something bigger than that, which is exciting.”