A unique auditory venture into the intersections of sound, emotion, and memory

London, 2024: Shortcuts to Emotion samples more than 15 years of Dom James' sound design for Bompas & Parr, combining compositions from past events, together with never-before-heard fragments from the cutting room floor. These are compiled into a singular listening experience that taps into the emotion of the listener, taking them on a journey through sonic interventions that both attract and repulse. Exploring sound as a gateway to unlocking emotion, this LP brings together theatrical soundscapes that provide a critical layer to physical experience, one of the sensory cornerstones from Bompas & Parr’s work.

• 15 years of sound design for Bompas & Parr
• Music and composition by Dom James
• 28 tracks including ‘Claves Peccatum [Keys of Sin]’ – only ever heard by audience at Bompas & Parr studio launch
• Heavyweight hand pressed coloured marbled effect vinyl
• Sleeve w/ original artwork
• 2 pp insert with full credits
• Art Design and Photography by Bompas & Parr

Side One: Flesh Atmospheric
Flesh Atmospheric is a collection of aural explorations that ebb and flow in a mesmeric ode to the human body, and the myriad emotions held within. Through their subtly perceptible fragments of meaning, these sounds seem to filter across our unconscious, forever pulsating, churning, agitating the inner landscape of the soul and alimentary canal. From projects such as ‘Journey to the Centre of the Gut’ (London, 2014), ‘Beyond the Waterfall’ (London, 2016), ‘The Future of Food: Epochal Banquet’ (Dubai, 2021), and ‘Forces of Nature’ (AlUla, 2022).

Side Two: Bones Bunga Party
Beginning with an arrestingly erotic burst of vocal clips, Bones Bunga Party takes the listener through seven distinct musical excitations that combine instrumental interludes with heavy beats and deeply sensitive vocal work. Each track shifts dramatically to create an sonic smorgasbord that leaves listeners fully emotionally satiated. From projects such as ‘Funland’ (New York, 2014), ‘Alcoholic Architecture’ (London, 2015), ‘Truvia Voyage of Discover’ (London, 2011) and ‘Butterfly Biospher’ (London, 2019).

Claves Peccatum [Keys of Sin]:
Claves Peccatum [Keys of Sin], the final track on the record, is a new musical piece composed by Dom for the launch of Bompas & Parr's new studio in Barbican. This progressive work has more key changes than any documented song in history, exploring the impact the musical device has on emotional response. It was originally performed on the studio's midi pipe organ with key changes delivered faster than human fingers can play.