View source for Naegleria Fowleri

Naegleria Fowleri is a novelty heavy metal band from St. Johnsbury, VT, USA apparently named for the [[wikipedia:Naegleria fowleri|"brain-eating amoeba"]].  The band is noted for using [[19edo|19-EDO]], as well as having an [[wikipedia:Amazon_parrot|amazon parrot]] lead vocalist, and a set of AI robotic actuators as a drummer.

== History ==

Naegleria Fowleri started in 2018, with [[Bostjan Zupancic]] on guitar and bass, and Luna on vocals.  The idea came from Luna squaking while Bostjan rehearsed on guitar or bass.  In 2017, Luna was featured on the Bostjan Zupancic: MicroMetal songs "[https://bostjanzupancic.bandcamp.com/track/hi-luna Hi Luna]," ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2J0eeLXa6M youtube link]) and "Agents."  On 22 March, 2018, Naegleria Fowleri released their debut album ''Life Cycle'' to extremely polarized reviews.  Naegleria Fowleri then went on to be featured on "Microtonal Freedom," an album compilation of microtonal bands recorded to benefit Lyn Ulbrecht.

== Tonalities ==

Naegleria Fowleri uses 19-EDO temperament.  Most of the scales used are non-traditional heptatonic or octatonic with at least one key change.  Many of the scales used contain both major and minor thirds.  Bostjan uses a seven string guitar with the lowest string tuned to "A" = 55 Hz and a five string bass with the lowest string tuned to 27.5 Hz, one octave lower.  Luna provides vocalizations ad lib, which are generally atonal in nature, but have also followed along with patterns and melodic lines in the songs from time to time.  Luna's recorded parts are minimally edited with use of only a noise gate and compressor.

== Releases ==
''Life Cycle'' was released 22 March 2018 on digital media ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH7WE9Z8ivo youtube], [https://naegleriafowleri.bandcamp.com bandcamp], [https://open.spotify.com/album/03rPx5BUu0Y2mdMWIAldqa spotify], iTunes, etc.) and on CD.

Track listing:
# Ia Cyst: Stasis 0:50
# Ib Cyst: Emergence (feat. Spanky) 4:18
# IIa Trophozoite: Olfactory Epithelium Attachment 2:13
# IIb Trophozoite: Traversing the Cribriform Plate Axons 2:53
# IIc Trophozoite: Binary Fusion 1:35
# IId Trophozoite: Phagocytosis 2:52
# III Metamorphosis 2:05
# IVa Flagellate: Propulsion 3:49
# IVb Flagellate: Proliferation 4:18

''Microtonal Freedom (A Compilation Benefit Album for Lyn Ulbrecht)'' was released on 8 Feb 2019 on digital media ([https://www.amazon.com/Microtonal-Freedom-Compilation-Benefit-Ulbricht/dp/B07LFJGM1V amazon], spotify, etc.), and features many members of XA and xen wiki editors.  Naegleria Fowleri recorded one track for the album, also in 19-EDO:

13. Messages 4:33

A part of the song is claimed to be a message in [[wikipedia:Morse_code#International_Morse_Code|International Morse Code]], according to the [https://biptunia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Lyrics-for-Lyn-album.pdf liner notes].

''[https://naegleriafowleri.bandcamp.com/releases Prognosis Dire]'' was released 1 April 2020 on digital media, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

Track Listing:
# A Cabin in the Woods 2:26
# Quick Dip 1:56
# Headache 3:29
# Fever 2:54
# Nausea 4:44
# Stiff Neck 2:41
# Spinal Tap 2:40
# P. A. M. 1:49
# Edematious Brain Lesions 2:36
# Latex Agglutination 1:27
# Flagellation Test 2:06
# Amphotericin B 1:28
# Miltefosine 4:55
# Ataxia 3:31

== Reception ==
Naegleria Fowleri is not widely known, but public reviews have been polarized, with some reviews even being internally conflicted.  [https://sites.google.com/view/naegleriafowleri/ The band's website] explains that the band does not expect to be taken seriously; however, there is a potential to examine the band's music academically through the lens of microtonal music theory, and there is also a potential to examine Luna's performance through the lens of animal psychology.
[[Category:Bands]]
[[Category:Composers]]
[[Category:Listen]]
[[Category:19edo]]