Flea

'Helen Burns' EP

BY Alex HudsonPublished Jul 19, 2012

Earlier this week, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea announced that he would be releasing a solo EP called Helen Burns "in a couple of days." Sure enough, the famed funkster just shared the six-song collection as a pay-what-you-want download.

The EP, which was inspired by a character from the Charlotte Brontë novel Jane Eyre, marks a big change from the funky pop-rock Flea is usually known for. It's largely psychedelic instrumental material, although there is a noteworthy vocal cameo from Patti Smith on the title track.

Flea said in a statement, "Warning! It is not a Chili Peppers record. It does not have songs that are like the Chili Peppers at all. It is a mostly instrumental, weird and arty record, the music is mostly just me creating soundscapes that are very emotional for me, but certainly not for everyone! Just me tripping out at home."

You can download the collection for free right here or make a donation to the Silverlake Conservatory of Music. You can also order a vinyl copy for $75. These are autographed and come with a piece of bass string played by Flea and are limited to 900 copies. They will ship on August 10.

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