The In Sound From Way Out! is a bizarre album of early electronic music. What makes the album so unique, however, is not the strange sounds of early synthesizers, but the unique arrangements and accompanying live instrumentation. Jean-Jaques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley's music evokes a sort of analog electronic Romper Room. Each track is upbeat, and bouncy, despite the silly sounds.
The In Sond From Way Out! also uses many sampled sounds. In Swan's Splashdown, you hear the real squawk of a swan. Countdown At 6 features a gurgling baby. Still other tracks contain various wildlife sounds. The animal sounds are a bizarre counterpoint to the machine music.
It's easy to draw a parallel between Perrey-Kingsley's music on this album and Raymond Scott's electronic experimentation. Both convey a sense of childlike wonder, not just at the technology involved in the music's creation, but at music itself. However, the compositions on The In Sound From Way Out! lack the complexity of Scott's electronic compositions. Despite the fact that this disc was aimed at adults, the simple compositions and silly sounds make it sound like a children's record.
The In Sound From Way Out! is an interesting record, and a landmark piece of electronic music. Anyone curious as to what people in 1966 thought the future of music would be like are encouraged to check this out.