It's not Keto, it's not Paleo, it's... Breatharianism!
Actually, scratch that, I don't really care to dictate what you eat. Breatharian, however, is the title of and concept behind one of my favorite beat tapes. It comes to us from LA producer Mndsgn (pronounced mind design), and it's an expertly-sampled journey through the worst and most dangerous diet fad/religion in history. Don't let that turn you away, though, as the producer surveys the wild world of Wiley Brooks, Breatharianism's eccentric, enterprising modern leader, in 15 simultaneously relaxing and stimulating tracks.
First off, I should explain, Breatharianism is a school of thought that postulates humans can survive without food and water, taking our nutrients from air alone. Just Air. While Mndsgn, whose real name is Ringgo Anchetta, offers only a few moments of insight into the bizarre belief system through interviews and dated news clips that transition songs, it's all that is really necessary ("in other words, eating is an acquired habit. Just like drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes"). What follows is an array of urgent yet behind-the-beat offerings that may just offer some form of, despite the inherent absurdity of the subject matter, enlightenment. An exercise in repetition and careful pairing of the hunger-hallucinatory with the quantized, Breatharian is as cohesive an album as it is experimental.
What made this tape all the more interesting to me upon first listen was Mndsgn's own fabricated backstory. As lore had it, Anchetta was raised on a commune without electricity or running water; this only added to the mystique of Breatharian. In reality, he grew up in New Jersey (I'll refrain from comparing these conditions). Regardless, I was hooked on his work as a producer. As it happens, this was a meaningful discovery, as I've followed his music since with interest. Subsequent releases, Yawn Zen and Body Wash, remain in heavy rotation.
Dietary restrictions or not, this is a contemplative, worthwhile listen.