Plants Can Dance: The Album
Big Announcement!! A compilation album plus mini-book featuring the leading practitioners of a burgeoning new genre. Listen to the first single and pre-order now
Over a year in the making, we're excited to share the first Plants Can Dance Compilation: a collection of songs inspired by the wonder of plants by some of the leading practitioners from all around the world.
»»STREAMING AND DOWNLOAD PRESAVE LINKS««
I’ve been exploring ways in which to collaborate with nature, living organisms and the natural world in my music practise over the past six or seven years - a process accelerated by the COVID lockdown and solidified over several artistic commissions: Mushroom Music for the mycelium pavilion at Glastonbury, Sonifying a show garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, creating a Symphony of Herbs for Dandelion (part of the UK Governments ‘Unboxed’ festival of ideas) and many more.
I’ve presented this work and the accompanying themes via workshops in schools; talks at art institutions such as The Tate Modern, V&A, Design Museum, National Trust; sessions for charities; installations for brands; and performances at festivals - in the UK, Europe, Africa and India.
These projects culminated in the release of ‘Mycorrhizal Fungi’, a multi-sensory vinyl record in collaboration with artist Jananicole, the first release on A State Of Flo records in 2024 and subsequently lead to the launch of our event series Plants Can Dance (and Mushroom’s ‘Sing’) in 2025.
Over these years, I’ve met many musicians, scientists, environmentalists, botanists and experimental artists who share a similar passion - to explore the wonder of nature through the medium of their musical and artistic practise.
This compilation pulls together many of these connections and features pioneers of perhaps what can now be called a burgeoning new musical genre: ‘plant and mushroom music’.
Those featured include: Tarun Nayer aka Modern Biology, Jason Singh, Olga Maximova aka OMMA (co-founder of Playtronica), Dr Helen Anahita Wilson, Justin Wiggan and more. Many tracks are collaborations with celebrated musicians: legendary Norwegian Jazz star Arve Henriksen, cellist Liz Hanks, saxophonist Zekarias Musele Thompson and more.
Accompanying the lush white-vinyl package is a 28-page magazine or mini-book if you like, with articles from all the artists involved as well as insight into related topics - 'More-Than-Human Perspectives', 'Ways Of Listening', 'Technical Approaches', insights from Jason Lim, founder of Instruo modular synths (the company behind the Scion and Pocket Scion devices) and a ‘Note of Caution’ from Dr Augustine Leudar.
What I’ve been most excited to witness is the conversations that are started through this work. These are equally important as the music itself as they demonstrate the wonder and intrigue that these artistic approaches spark. Nature is living and breathing and endlessly-fascinating - can music help us tune more deeply?
We’ve created a mini-book running to 7500+ words covering most of the topics that tend to get raised.
Call it ambient, jazz, electronica or simply plant music, this is a compilation like no other and I’m very excited for you to hear it. Aside from the wider themes, I guarantee the music stands up by itself: it is jaw-droppingly beautiful stuff and I thank all the artists involved for bringing their A-game.
The first single by Jason Singh ‘Tsubaki’ is now up on all streaming platforms and the compilation and ‘zine are available to pre-order. PREORDER HERE
New Plants Can Dance Instagram Page
Follow the journey on our new Plants Can Dance instagram page
I resisted this for so long, but with so much activity to come and a lot going on with my other Auntie Flo projects it makes sense…
Supporters of A State Of Flo will receive the full compilation and ‘zine in the next week, a month ahead of its release, as well as every release on the label.
Super Supporters will receive the vinyl record + zine and a package of previous vinyl releases (if stock is available).