Insect Masque by Mystery School

In the continuing Strongbow legacy series, this month we bring you Insect Masque, the 4th Mystery School CD (of 7 or 8 releases, depending how you count). Here Jon and Marty are joined by some old and new friends to make one hour, nineteen minutes and 39 seconds of songs about bugs. All song titles feature some aspect of our six-legged friends.

Here’s an album cover excerpt from Jon: “Author’s Disclaimer: Insect Masque had its inceptions in the early 90’s, but I kept putting it on the back burner because the whole concept was so strange; composing a cycle of instrumental music that was making a dark, cynical & humorous connections between humans and insects! But the idea kept haunting me. I began to see blatant similarities between the two worlds. Here are some of the many ways humans resemble insects: Humans go around devouring everything in sight. Humans deceive and trick each other to get what they want, especially in the realms of food and sex. (I was particularly disturbed by a certain insect that simulates the mating call of another species, only to lure another horny, unsuspecting bug into its all-consuming mandibles!) As humans, we all wear masks, not only to disguise our real motives, and preserve our inner clarity.” (continued on cover).

I’ve been listening to all the quite-long (this one is 79:31!) Mystery School albums as I’ve posted them, usually for the very first time. I really like this one, in fact, it may be my favorite MS album thus far. Super solid grooving and some really great bass playing from Marty! He is tearing it up on “Dirge Of The Drone Workers”!

Jon Strongbow was a nearly-hidden Pacific Northwest wonder, with six albums of his songs and another six albums of his instrumental music, most with his band Mystery School. He was an author and a graphic artist with multiple books and art prints which he sold at the Pike Place Market, where he was a community fixture. Books and CDs available here. All sales go to his family.