Zaireeka
| Zaireeka | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by The Flaming Lips | ||||
| Released | October 28, 1997 | |||
| Recorded | 1996–1997 | |||
| Genre | Experimental rock, noise rock | |||
| Length | 45:32 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | The Flaming Lips, Dave Fridmann, Scott Booker | |||
| The Flaming Lips chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Entertainment Weekly | A |
| NME | 10/10 |
| Pitchfork | 0.0/10 |
| Rolling Stone | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | 5/5 |
Zaireeka is the eighth studio album by the alternative rock band The Flaming Lips. Released on October 28, 1997, the experimental rock album consists of four Compact Discs. Each of its eight songs consists of four stereo tracks, one from each CD. The album was designed so that when played simultaneously on four separate audio systems, the four CDs would produce a harmonic or juxtaposed sound. The discs can also be played in different combinations, omitting one, two or three discs. The album's title is a portmanteau of two words: Zaire, chosen as a symbol of anarchy after Wayne Coyne heard a radio news story about the political instability of the African nation, and eureka (literally: "I have found it"), an expression of joyous discovery.
Zaireeka was the first album made by the band since the departure of guitarist Ronald Jones. It acted as a preview of the music and style that would surface on the next album, The Soft Bulletin (1999) and is the predecessor to the band's more conventional surround sound releases.
Adverse circumstances led to the production of Zaireeka. The departure of guitarist Ronald Jones compelled the band to change fundamentally. In addition, the limited success of the previous album, Clouds Taste Metallic, threatened their status at Warner Bros. Records. They eventually found that drummer Steven Drozd could compensate for the loss of Jones by becoming a multi-instrumentalist. However, live shows proved to be more challenging and in order to maintain activity and output, Wayne Coyne conceived an experimental show.
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