Oakland's Dirty Snacks Ensemble Explores the 'Tidy Universe' on Their New Album

by Chris Alarie

"Tidy universe" seems like a contradiction in terms. After all, the universe is an unimaginably vast, chaotic, hostile place composed primarily of mysterious substances such as dark matter and dark energy. But even in this vast chaos, the laws of physics function as an underlying order. On Tidy Universe, the new album by his Dirty Snacks Ensemble, Oakland-based vibraphonist and composer Mark Clifford similarly balances order and possibility in a set of songs that explore the intersections and tensions between composition and improvisation.

Among the tags for Tidy Universe on the Dirty Snacks Ensemble's Bandcamp page is "chamber jazz". This is an apt description. Clifford—who plays vibraphone and keyboards in addition to his compositional and occasional vocal duites—and his ensemble certainly have jazz chops and the album features some impressive improvisational passages, particularly saxophonist Aram Shelton's work on the album. But Clifford's background is in composition and all of these songs¹ lean heavily on that foundation. To return to the cosmological metaphor, if the Ensemble's improvisations represent the chaos and possibilities of the universe as we observe it, Clifford's compositions are the laws of physics that dictate the shape and contour of those possibilities.²

Clifford's compositional skills are impressive and the sophisticated, multi genre songwriting is one of the most enjoyable things about Tiny Universe. Considering that Clifford's main axe is the vibes, it is unsurprising that the most immediate touchstones are late-1960s, early-1970s albums from Bobby Hutcherson and Milt Jackson, such as Now! and Sunflower. Similarly, one can hear the influence of Andrew Hill and Eric Dolphy—both of whom featured Hutcherson on some of their greatest albums. But the album also brings to mind Joni Mitchell's mid-70s fusion albums,³ Canterbury scene prog weirdos like the Soft Machine, and even Sleepytime Gorilla Museum's prettier moments. All of these influences coalesce into a collection of complex-but-catchy songs that reward repeated listens.

Clifford offers a decidedly different interpretation of the phrase "tidy universe". He explains that it comes from Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot". To Clifford, it serves as an indication of earth's small position in the universe and a reminder not to worry too much about the difficulties in creating an album such as Tidy Universe.⁴ The album's cover, a painting by Austin Matthews of three hikers walking a path beneath mountain spires reaching toward toward a star-filled sky, encapsulates both interpretations of "tidy universe". A hiking excursion is not unlike the performance of a musical group such as the Dirty Snacks Ensemble. Each hiker explores his or her own path just as each musician finds his or her own way to perform their parts. But at the head of the line is their leader and at their feet is the trail on which he leads them, just as Clifford leads his ensemble through the paths of his compositions. Alternately, the image evokes the sense of one's small place in an expansive, expanding cosmos. Clifford ties the Ensemble's genesis to the canyonlands of Utah, where he draws inspiration from the "freedom [he] get[s] from feeling so small in a place that is so vast."

Tidy Universe will be available from Recollect Records and the band's Bandcamp page on June 11. The Dirty Snacks Ensemble will play a record release show for the album that evening at The Peralta Station in Oakland, California that evening.

Chris Alarie is Spectacular Editor-in-Chief of Uncanny Valley Magazine.

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1 Save for the three thankfully brief "Bobby" interludes.^↩
2 I've had a number of conversations over the years with Clifford about his frustration with finding the right balance between composition and improvisation in various groups that he's played in and written for. He's found the right balance on this album by leaning more toward the composition side.^↩
3 "Peepee" is especially reminiscent of Mitchell's "The Jungle Line".^↩
4 He also says it is a bit of a playful dig at himself for being a disorganized person. Having played in a band with him for three years, I can attest to the veracity of this bit of self-criticism.^↩

Doug Explains Pennies

by Douglas Slayton


The penny has long been a mystery. The penny's original purpose has nearly been forgotten. These days, they are more closely associated with self defense and pigeon control than their original purpose: currency. Long gone are the days of candies, movies, cars, spaghetti and all the other daily necessities that would be paid for with pennies. The penny, once the basic unit of cost for all things, is now disgraced due to smear campaigns by reality television personalities and talking vacuums. But even with all of this hate, the stalwart copper piece bearing the likeness of some old white guy with a beard¹ because of one secret that no one will talk about anymore.

President Fred Breining

Pennies are alive.

I am putting myself at great personal risk for speaking these words aloud to the person I have hired to type everything I say for my eventual memoir,² but change will not come until someone speaks up. Pennies are not made of copper; they are single celled organisms bred in a secret compound in Rhode Island.

Pennies have been on Earth longer than humans, shaping history for their own purposes. Secretly desiring a "society" in which they were the focus of all things, they shepherded humanity—the only creatures with thumbs who were self important enough to think anything they created has value—to "dominance". Most of the world rejected their siren song, because fuck Pennies. They are stupid and taste awful. But the European settlers who found the Penny breeding pools when they landed on what would eventually be the United State really fucking fell for it, because they were dumb as shit.

These humans were not in control of their own destinies—mostly because they were hella dumb and wanted to impress these tiny fucks who wouldn't shut the hell up. Humans are inherently selfish and irresponsible. They have done many terrible, awful things: war, dance, television, Jell-O, furniture, space exploration. But humans are lead largely by the tiny sounds that emanate from their pockets. These are the Pennies leading us to a society where they are all that matter. But like all science experiments,³ humanity grew too out of control for the Pennies to retain their position of prominence.

Thomas Edison, history's greatest monster, created a series of objects that added low level humming into the daily lives of humans. That humming cancelled out sound of the Pennies, and most people have forgotten the tiny sounds they made. The breeding pits in Rhode Island still exist because we have no idea how to stop their breeding. Several attempts have been made to cover them up with concrete but the darkness only makes them grow faster.

Pennies remain as a reminder that we are dumb dumbs and are all going to die because we can’t control our own lives without some shitty living coin telling us what to do.

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1 Your uncle? I don’t remember his name. If you do, please write to your local congressperson. Waste someone elses time for once, you ingrates.^↩ 2 Bury Me Where I Stand Because I Can’t Stand Myself: a Life Unlived.^↩ 3 Space exploration, am I right?^↩

Douglas Slayton is Professor Editor-in-Chief of Uncanny Valley Magazine.

Working Hard?

by Chris Alarie

Chris Alarie is Spectacular Editor-in-Chief of Uncanny Valley Magazine.

Suicide Exercise

by Chris Alarie

Chris Alarie is Spectacular Editor-in-Chief of Uncanny Valley Magazine.

Drawings of People on Chairs

by Victor Mitrani

I was bored so I drew some people in chairs. I am not much of an artist but I'll bet you aren't either.

Victor Mitrani does not want you to think that he thinks that he's Kim Gordon or something.

Par EP TO Entities

by Daniel Alarie

Editor's Note: Dan and I had a conversation about what the experience would be like to have an experience where one's consciousness splits into two parts, spends time apart, and rejoins. Later that evening, he wrote his concept of how this would work. – Chris Alarie

Daniel Alarie lives in Santa Rosa, California.

A Formless Sort of Space

by Chris Alarie

Chris Alarie is Spectacular Editor-in-Chief of Uncanny Valley Magazine.