Mark Burford aka Field Lines Cartographers music has featured on our radio shows many times in the past. Formic Kingdom being his latest cassette outing, this time via Woodford Halse, complete with some rather excellent die-cut, multilayered artwork on the sleeve.
Delicate tones exist in the dense layers and warbling hiss envelopes each drone, most of which have that slightly foreboding minor-key quality, typical of the FLC sound.
When you read the insect-orientated concept, the cover art and track names start to fall into place, read on for the ‘Formic Kingdom’ official blurb! (pre-orders open 4th December)
‘Formic Kingdom’
In 1971 a team of scientists disappeared from a remote research facility somewhere in the desert of New
Mexico.
After 17 days without communications US Army search personnel arrived at the small lab but could find
no trace of of the three scientists.
The project is rumoured to have been experimenting on Red Fire Ants – altering & enhancing them
through genetic, chemical & even cybernetic processes.
Strange structures were found in the desert scrub surrounding the laboratory, along with a labyrinth of
tunnels & chambers deep underneath the facility. These were clearly not man-made.
To date the US government & military has refused to release any further information about this incident &
the three scientists are still officially listed as ‘missing’.
The final electronic communication received from the facility is incomplete & reads :
++ intelligence & structural enhancement now advancing at a geometric rate // they seem to be exhibiting
the instinct for complete hegemony over their environment // we may have to consider stopping all
processes whilst we still have a semblance of control // our systems seem to be compromis++++END
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Inspired by the 1974 Saul Bass movie ‘Phase IV’ & the 1983 computer game from Qucksilva ‘Ant Attack’
