IDM Mailing Archive

I thought I'd spread the love a little. I picked up a great comp that isn't IDM proper but sure as hell uses all the hooks that our favorite circuit loaders use. It's called 'the early gurus of electronic music' and it's on OHM records. It's a chronological survey limited to three discs that begins in 1937 with a piece by Oliver Messiaen and ends in 1982 with a piece by Brian Eno (who wrote the introduction to the liner notes). The first disc is an amazing example of the power and clarity of analogue synthesis. The most recent work was recorded in 1967. All of the pieces presented have a real timeless feeling that I usually associate with classical music more than 50 years old. It's funny to me how these experiments sound so simple to my ears yet still speak musically. I can't imagine what people's reactions were like at the time. There are a lot of bleeps and pops but a few tracks have melodies and lyrical depth. 'Philomel' by Milton Babbit uses a soprano as the lead, accompanied by a synthesizer. The second disc represents the 60's, which is when musical trends got real abstract and spontaneous. The sounds have no real center and float or grate at the ears. There is a track by Steve Reich (from the not-hailed-as-exceptional Reich Remixed album) that is best described as immediately going on forever. This period of creation seemed to be a bridge between the analogue and digital ages. The computers weren't really fast enough but they could make sounds. Tape loops were tired yet recording technology wasn't. I believe that these sounds focused more on notation and creative method than end product. The last disc is fully grounded in the digital age. It begins with a great speech song by Charles Dodge manipulated by a real old vocoder (1972). There is a piece by John Chowning, of Csound fame and Brian Eno of, well, fame. Most of the pieces bring out the precise abilities a computer allows to control every aspect of a sound. Others use computers as intelligent accompanists to traditional instruments. 'On The Other Ocean' by David Behrman uses six notes that trigger a computer, named Kim-1, to accompany the instruments--playing harmonic variations of the note series. I paid $30 for the comp, but it was well worth it. The listening and inspiration are priceless. A friend of mine pointed out that it doesn't include any artists outside the academic musician realm. I don't believe that is the point of this compilation. To keep some people happy, there are extensive quotes in the liner notes from modern day stars and starlets like dj Spooky, Bill Laswell, and Lara Lee (who doesn't make music but directed the film Modulations). Gilb away, Lee Azzarello --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org