UNBOXED, a collection dissected from the LOWEST FORM OF MUSIC 10-CD box set (including tracks not available in the box-set) is a splash introduction to a newcomer of the LAFMS. The Lowest Form of Music is an utterly devastating ten-CD box set of the works of the Los Angeles Free Music Society. This tremendously obscure collective -- a loose assemblage of individuals and ensembles with shared subversive musical interests (John Cage, The Mothers of Invention, Captain Beefheart, Sun Ra, The Residents, Derek Bailey, Harry Partch, to name a few) -- began in the mid-seventies and nominally continues today. Members of these groups were compelled by a wide range of music and art: free jazz, restructuralism, prototypical noise rock, art rock, performance art, prog rock, chance composition, instrument building, kitsch, autodestructive art, minimalism, tape collage, genre jumping.

The Lowest Form of Music, packaged in a sturdy brown box with a foldout plastic accordion of discs, is a marvel of historiography. Two booklets provide lavish notes on personnel, descriptions of each track augmented by context-setting details, a separate booklet of 4-color printed images, and a poster reprinting all the releases.

UNBOXED is stunningly designed by LAFMS co-founder Tom Recchion, whose package-designs have resulted in being nominated for 4 Grammy's.

organ of Corti