Monday, October 26, 2009

Silence


it's like I just woke up from a deep slumber.... is anyone out there?

Kayhan Kalhor and Brooklyn Rider
Silent City

Track Listing -
Ascending Bird
Silent City
Parvaz
Beloved, do not let me be discouraged

Iranian-born Kayhan Kalhor, master of the kamancheh (Persian spiked fiddle), teams up on Silent City with the string quartet Brooklyn Rider (Colin Jacobson, Jonathan Gandelsman, Nicholas Cords, Eric Jacobsen), accompanied by Jeff Beecher (bass) and Mark Suter (percussion), for a group of compositions which offer interpretations of stories drawn from popular Persian myth. This effort grew from relationships forged at a gathering of musicians convened several years ago by Yo Yo Ma for the Silk Road Project at the Tanglewood Music Center. It is intended as an exploration of the frequently sparse minimalist phrasing and textures of the stringed quartet with the innovation of a leading master of the Persian kamancheh and their common bond of playing bowed instruments.

Shy of words, Silent City is entirely interpretive - quite a reach considering the profuse narrative on which it is based. The piece "Beloved Do Not Let Me Be Discouraged" originates from a legend about ill-fated lovers that found expression in a 16th century Turkic poem by Fuzuli. Add in influences of 14th century Italian troubadours and the connections made between that part of Europe and the Islamic world and you gain a sense for the mood that this studio experiment aims to achieve. A large portion of Silent City builds around two versions of a Persian myth. "Ascending Bird" is about the spiritual transcendence achieved through a bird's failed attempts to fly to the sun. The alternative story, "Pavez" ("Flight"), is Kalhor's approach in which he exchanges his kamancheh for a santur, a four-stringed long-necked lute. Then there is the title track itself. "Silent City" is a largely improvised piece reflecting on the idea of a barren world destroyed by human or natural forces. The opening lament is followed by the joyful moods that accompany rebirth and renewal.

Silent City, a studio exploration by exceptional musical talent. Yet there are good reasons that storytellers use words to relate myth and it is a challenge to convey a story without them. Those narratives however, are not the main purpose here, but are the context for Silent City. With that challenging premise understood, Silent City finds new ground with its explorations. - Dick Dorsett


r


enjoy

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

white flowers.......

a favorite of mine....enjoy

RUTH WHITE - Flowers of Evil: An Electronic Setting of the Poem of Charles Baudelaire (Creel Pone)

Tracklisting:
A1 The Clock (3:00)
A2 Evening Harmony (4:02)
A3 Lover's Wine (2:57)
A4 Owls (2:45)
A5 Mists And Rains (2:06)
B1 The Irremediable (4:55)
B2 The Cat (3:27)
B3 Spleen (2:50)
B4 The Litanies Of Satan (6:50)

............to me, baudelaire's poems are of such unique power that they always seem to rise above the level of the personal and sometimes existential nature of their content. in this composition, i have attempted to parallel the transcendental qualities of the poetry through electronic means.

for the words, i used my own voice as the generator of the original sound to be altered or "dehumanized." this seemed practical since my experiments with the medium were too time consuming to have been easily accomplished with a collaborator.

to modulate my voice, i used a variety of techniques. changes of timbre were achieved with filters. tape speed changes were used to control pitch. into the shape of some words, i injected sound waves and white noise, thus changing the quality of their sound hut not the flow of their delivery. by adding reyerberation, i varied atmospheres and decreased or increased space illusions. to accent special words or phrases, i used controlled tape delays. choruses were created by combining slight delays with multiple track recordings.

the musical settings around the voice were made with music concrète materials, a moog synthesizer, other electronic generators and conventional instruments, which were usually altered electronically.

in the translations, there was no attempt to rhyme the verse as in the original french poems. i tried only to keep the language as direct and simple as possible, for i always found that the dominating power of baudelaire's ideas 'were in themselves of electrifying force.

ruth white


music and translations @ 1969 ruth white.


m

enjoy........


some short circuits too........

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Ruth White - Short Circuits
Label: Angel Records

A1 Rimsky-Korsakov* The Flight Of The Bumblebee (1:20)
A2 Satie* Gymnopédie No. 1 (2:30)
A3 Debussy* The Snow Is Dancing (2:07)
A4 White* Variations On Couperin's Rondeau (1:38)
A5 Grieg* The Butterfly (1:37)
A6 Verdi* Anvil Chorus (1:25)
A7 Scarlatti* Tempo Di Ballo (2:48)
A8 Chopin* Etude In G Flat (1:32)
B1 C.P.E. Bach* Solfeggietto (1:50)
B2 Chopin* Prelude In E Minor (2:14)
B3 Shostakovich* Polka From "The Age Of Gold" (2:10)
B4 Bizet* The Ball (1:36)
B5 Scarlatti* Sonata In G (1:58)
B6 Albéniz* Asturias (5:20)

r

enjoy............

Friday, February 22, 2008

Kayagum........

Korean Kayagum Music: Sanjo
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Artist: Chukp'a and Kim Tong Jun


1 Minsok P'unru 8:49

2 Kayagum Sanjo 52:56

Performed by Korean national treasure Chukp'a on kayagum, accompanied by changoo player Tong Jun Kim, both recently deceased. excellent.....

r

enjoy..............

Thursday, February 21, 2008

rare flutes......

Neil McLaren and the Cambridge Baroque Camerata (on original instruments)
Rare Baroque Flute Concertos: Tartini, Quantz, Naudot and Benda
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Neil McLaren, flute


G Tartini Concerto in G
J J Quantz Concerto in E minor
J-C Naudot Concerto in D Op 11 No 1
F Benda Concerto in G

Track Listings
Giuseppe Tartini: Concerto in G
1. Allegro non molto (3:07)
2. Andante (2:47)
3. Allegro (2:30)

Johann Joachim Quantz: Concerto in E minor
4. Allegro ma non tanto (4:48)
5. Affetuoso (3:03)
6. Vivace (3:46)

Jacques-Christophe Naudot: Concerto in D, Op. 11 No.1
7. Allegro (4:31)
8. Largo (2:02)
9. Allegro (3:12)

Frantisek Benda: Concerto in G
10. Allegro (7:24)
11. Largo (6:34)
12. Presto (4:48)

These flute concertos are played on a wooden baroque transverse flute, and the smooth sound of it never dominates, but forms a whole with the "camerata" (no orchestra!), so efficient for the rendition of concertos from a time wherein the soloist was not yet a star. Recorded in 1991, but still very good.



m

enjoy.................

Parallel Universe........

Parallel Universe
Leiahdorus
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1. Prologue
2. Run
3. Freeways
4. Kiss On the Telephone
5. Flowers
6. When It's Dark I'm Five Again
7. Paper Girl
8. Transmission
9. New York Told Me So
10. S.O.S.
11. Parallel Universe
12. Epilogue


(Synthpop)





m



enjoy............

smooth asian......

Feng Dong & Sun Ya Nan
Die Ying Sheng Se (Laminating Sound)
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1. Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin (The Moon Represents My Heart)
03:54
2. Zhen De Hao Xiang Ni (Really Miss You)
05:11
3. Ni Bian Liao Mei You (Have You Changed)
04:24
4. Dui Ji Qing Gan (Amassing Love)
03:51
5. Qin Ai De Bu Yao Li Kai Wo (Don't Leave Me My Love)
05:04
6. Hui (Regret)
03:56
7. Dong Ni (Understand)
05:16
8. Gan Xin Qing Yuan (Willingly)
04:58
9. Ni Shi Ru Ci Nan Yi Wang Ji (Hard To Forget About You)
04:24
10. Zui Yuan De Ni Shi Wo Zui Jin De Ai (The Farmost You Is The Closest Love of Me)
04:18
11. Jiu Bai Jiu Shi Jiu Duo Mei Gui (999 Roses)
04:50
12. Ai Ni Yi Wan Nian (Loving You For 10,000 Years)
04:03
13. Qian Shou (Hand In Hand)
04:53



nice smooth asian pop.......


m


enjoy............

fairy tales.....

Frames For A Fairy Tale
Alain Amouyal
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1 Temptation
2 Dance
3 Hope
4 March
5 Liberation
6 Certainty


The "Frames for a Fairy Tale" suite for orchestra, voice and piano is the starting point in a project for a large-scale multimedia show whose principle theme, subject of a treatment for the stage, is Orpheus' battle to reconquer his Loved One.
It is an epic poem which is connected to the mythical couple's story. However, like all great legends, this story's appeal is timeless, which is why it is able to resonate in the very depths of ourselves.
Composed by Alain Amouyal (AEva), co-arranged and orchestrated by Luc Marty, this first orchestral version - interpreted by the prestigious London Symphony Orchestra - seduces the listener with its epic sound and its evocative quality which heralds the multimedia show currently in preparation.



m



enjoy.....

more pone.....

Artist: RAICEVIC, NICHOLAS "NIK PASCAL"
Title: The Complete Narco Records And Tapes Recordings (1971-1975)
Format: Double CDR (4 lps on 2 cdrs of modular synth solo)
Label: Creel Pone
Country: USA
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disc 1-

magnetic web LP
A1 Magnetic Web (9:46)
A2 Light Stimulus (3:24)
A3 Edge Of The Unknown (4:40)
B1 Dance Of The Supernatural (8:03)
B2 Interplanetary Beings (5:47)
B3 Cosmic Aura (3:00)

zero gravity LP
A1 Zero Gravity (22:50)
B1 Robot Rock (4:30)
B2 Sounds From The Blue Planet (4:01)
B3 I Q + U = ? (4:03)
B4 Alpha Wave Diffusion (4:09)

disc 2

The Sixth Ear LP
A1 The Sixth Ear (9:30)
A2 Journey Into The Light (3:00)
A3 Subconscious Nebula (3:40)
B1 Anandamayi (3:00)
B2 Identity (4:05)
B3 Demons Of Rage (2:50)
B4 Karma (1:50)
B5 Visions Of Kali (2:00)
B6 Life (2:30)

Beyond The End.... Eternity LP

beyond the end
to go to do is to be
tide
the mist that drifts away
deathless
the wanderer
life's timelessness
eternity

====================================================================== ====
some reviews to review.............

Super bumbling synth goop that's very reminiscent of the lumbering robot walk from 'Forbidden Planet'. 4 lps on 2 cdrs of modular synth solo, with one short break for a synth + finger cymbals ensemble. There's a few hints at chords here & there, but mostly just a slow discovery of what each knob does, one knob at a time. By the 4th lp, Nik has nearly worked his way up to a Klaus Schulze/new age mirage, but he's still got the clumsy wonder of pressing random buttons now & again. Nik was from Los Angeles, appears as a studio musician on the Stones 'Goat's Head Soup', & recorded a Buddah album called 'Head' (which supposedly got him tossed from the label because it was too drugged out). He also went under what I assume to be his real last name, Raicevic. Tracklisting: Beyond the End, To Go To Do Is To Be, Tide, The Mist That Drifts Away, Deathless, The Wanderer, Life's Timelessness, Eternity, The Sixth Ear, Journey Into the Light, Subconscious Nebula, Anandamayi, Identity, Demons of Rage, Karma, Visions of Kali, Life, Magnetic Web, Light Stimulus, Edge of the Unknown, Dance of the Supernatural, Interplanetary Beings, Cosmic Aura, Zero Gravity, Robot Rock, Sounds from the Blue Planet, I Q + U = ?, Alpha Wave Diffusion.

====================================================================== ===

"a reproduction of all four lps originally self-released by nicolas “nik pascal” raicevic on his narco records and tapes label (rumored to be one of the first truly independent labels...) between 1971 and 1975. the music is nothing short of genius; a fine beaded mist of exceedingly lo-fi (tape drop-outs are prevalent, entire frequency ranges completely excised from certain tracks... not to mention the piss-poor quality of the original pressings) “hands-off” psychedelic synthesizer fumblings (paralleling only douglas leedys “entropical paradise” in its seemingly arbitrary rhythms & note-choices) & rudimentary drum-machine / bongo diversions. 1971s “beyond the end... eternity” consists solely of loose, exploratory moog modular dirges; raicevic is clearly still in the early learning-curve stages... yet by the following years “the sixth ear,” more complex gated passages & rhythmic activity begins to surface (including a few bits that rival pierre henrys “mise en musique corticalart” in their sheer monolothic joy...) along with overdubbed bongo jams and a few actual chord progressions... by 1973s “magnetic web,” raicevic has added an arp 2600 and a few rhythm-boxes (often running a few bpm apart, yielding some rather zonked phase-effects) and hand-percussion (tibetan finger-cymbals) to his arsenal, increasing the levels of raw synth-blat tenfold (more than a few tracks stream sample-and-hold layers throughout.) - in my mind this is his masterpiece. finally, after a year off, nik drops his last album, “zero gravity,” the side-long title-track working a harmonic-series patch with drizzles of space-dusted echo & miniature alien-tongued white-noise licks, the b-side offering a set of shorter songs... as far as early-mid 70s american “bedroom” electronic music goes, these lps have to be among the first transmissions from this sector, made all the more attractive when coupled with raicevics alien topography (the covers are high-color portrayals of venusian lanes, knotted growths, & future-past architecture) & copious “downer” sentiment... this music is imbued with a sort of lonely, anti-social sensibility thats about as far as you can get from the “academic” early electronic vector. while im not going to blanket-recommend this one for all followers of the creel pone series, i will say that if the steve birchall, cellutron & the invisible, and/or pythagoron™ replications seed your garden, this will likely do the same..." - Creel Pone.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Nik “Pascal” Raicevic’s chief claim to fame is as a session percussionist for two tracks on the Rolling Stones’ Goat’s Head Soup, but in the early 1970s he released several pioneering electronic instrumental albums under various names.

His first release, in 1970, was an eponymous album under the name “Head”; it was released by Buddah Records and contained tracks with names like “Cannabis Sativa” and “Methedrine”. Buddah had second thoughts fairly quickly and Raicevic was soon on his own. He released four albums on his own label (keeping the drug theme by naming it “Narco Records and Tapes”) before selling all his equipment to Steve Roach and dying of an overdose or finding Jesus or something.

***********************************************
disc 1........

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=RJXINDK0
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QA3CGX6N

DISC 2 ...................

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=T1ISX8ID
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=68CKP3JH


enjoy........................

Sunday, February 17, 2008

oakland.....

Oakland, 1955 CD
Sonny Clark

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1 What's New? 7:11
2 Willow Weep for Me 6:26
3 There Will Never Be Another You 6:46
4 D & E 5:19
5 All the Things You ARe 4:13
6 But Not for Me 5:13
7 Bags' Groove 5:13
8 You Go to My Head 5:48
9 Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea 7:48
10 A Night in Tunisia 8:46
11 Ow! 6:07
12 Theme 3:11

This live concert (which was released for the first time on this 1995 CD) features the great pianist Sonny Clark in prime form, in a trio with bassist Jerry Good and drummer Al Randall. The recording quality is a bit primitive (lowering the music's value) but since there are not an excess of Sonny Clark records available, and the pianist's interpretations of the dozen selections (mostly jazz standards) is consistently swinging and inventive, this boppish CD is worth picking up anyway. Scott Yanow, All Music Guide


m


enjoy...........

Monday, January 14, 2008

I bought the original LP when it came out in '72 (yes.... I'm a old fart); played it to death, planned on buying another few but never did. When I looked for it years later could not find it and it was never brought out on CD. Thought I'd never hear it again until one night a couple of years ago when I was randomly surfin the net i ran across a wonderful blog (audio-history- has since gone to blogger heaven) and there the album was posted by a kind soul (i believe he called himself muse). very hard to find....
(album brought to us originally from Voco -a dj from KSAN - the jive95)

Lights Out: San Francisco

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Track List
Lights Out: San Francisco

1. Lights Out-john lee hooker
2. Voco
3. Mahdi (The Expected One) -tower of power
4. Cleo's Back-tower of power-dusty street
5. Loves to Do It - Rick Stevens, Lydia Pense, Jo Baker and Linda Tillery plus Cold Blood's Raul Matute on organ.
6. Dead-cold blood w/ lydia pense
7. Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye-Sylvester with Neal Schon of the group Journey, on guitar
8. Why Was I Born?-Sylvester featuring backup by
a new trio of girls calling themselves The Pointer Sisters ( Anita,Bonnie and June).

9. Brother Antrainik
10. Dina
11. 20/20 Vision


Category: SOUL/R&B

Media: LP
Records in set: 2

Label: BLUE THUMB
Release Number: BTS6004
Manufactured: US USA

(this LP has not been available since 1972 and has not been reissued on CD)

This double-album set is a true collectors' item. Record producer, Voco, and KSAN DJ, Dusty Street, released this compilation of Bay Area talent in 1972. You'll notice that the Tower of Power name is covered up (just to the left of Lydia Pense). That had to do with a minor dispute witn a Warner Brothers Records. The resolution was to cover the Tower of Power name before shipping to retailers.

There are three cuts that include the Tower line up; two originals and one Junior Walker tune. The first song, Mahdi (The Expected One) is a Greg Adams/Skip Mesquite composition which Adams reprised on his solo CD, Hidden Agenda, over twenty years later. The second, Cleo's Back, is a haunting Junior Walker song, composed by Willie Woods. The third, Loves To Do It, is from 'Doc' Kupka, Emilio Castillo and David Garibaldi. It features alternating vocals from Rick Stevens, Lydia Pense, Jo Baker and Linda Tillery plus Cold Blood's Raul Matute on organ.


The album photography and design were by Bruce Steinberg.



enjoy.........

r
here's another album done by a young aki takahashi and again it was never re-issued on CD and is very hard to find.
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A Valentine out of Season / Aki Takahashi
Toshiba TA 72034 (LP)
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Iannis Xenakis: Evryali
Toru Takemitsu: For Away
John Cage: A Valentine out of Season (1944)
John Cage: A Room (1943)
John Cage: Music for Marcel Duchamp (1947)
Erik Satie: Gnossiennes (complete)
Claude Debussy: Brouillards (from 'Preludes, book II')
Claude Debussy: General Lavine-eccentric (from 'Preludes, book II')
Claude Debussy: La terasse des audiences du clair de lune (from 'Preludes, book II')

Aki Takahashi, (prepared) piano

Recorded on September 6-8, 1976 at Ishibashi Memorial Hall (Ueno Gakuen)
Also released on EMI 18MN-1017 (unknown medium).
LP released in 1977

================================================
A Valentine Out of Season
This is a set of three pieces composed in 1944, not too long before Cage separated from his wife, Xenia. The first piece involving short melodic lines played slowly, with the only piano preparations having a muffling effect and a slightly metallic drum sound. The second piece is faster and clearly rhythmic, but still very quiet and unornamented, using mostly the metallic drum-like sound. Often the passages feel incomplete, adding to the tension already brought out by the first part, with only a few instances of forceful playing. The last part feels like something between the first too; there is much silence and slowness, but ends at a faster pace that I am not sure what to make of. Retreat? Overall, the first section is so haunting and sad and that mood persists for the rest of the music being affected as I listened.

http://rapidshare.com/files/76230340/aki_takahashi.part1.rar.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/76230705/aki_takahashi.part2.rar.html


enjoy......

Friday, January 11, 2008

freak your friends......

some creel pone re-issued music to meditate with.... enjoy


heins hoffman-richter “symphony for tape delay, ibm instruction manual, & ohm septet (music to freak your friends and break your lease)” compact disc recordable
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* 1st movement: milkshake (8:16)
* 2nd movement: this is my beloved’s chamber (7:26)

* 3rd movement: gidget gets in trouble (6:13)
* 4th movement: send out the clowns (4:30)


==================================================

symphony for tape delay, ibm instruction manual, and ohm septet

one day not too long ago, but then again not recently, recognized raconteur, genius, composer, musicologist, conductor heins hoffman-richter was spending a quiet evening in his flat in cherbourg, south of paris. he often went there to escape the tensions of metropolitan existence although it necessitated a good many umbrellas. during these sojourns his only companion was the music he loved so well, particularly the works of brahms. (that man did know how to soothe!)

as he gazed out the window at the gently failing rain and thought of catherine deneuve singing her heart out and reeking of expensive perfume, a flash of lightning whisked across the black night sky. the room was lit with a blinding burst of bright light and brahms went berserk. suddenly the soothing concerto turned into a maze of electronic sounds emanating from the surrounding speakers.

at first hoffman-richter was frightened by this celestial phenomenon, no doubt thinking it was some terrible world holocaust. suddenly hoffman-richter gasped, "egads!" on second thought, the sounds seemed to make sense and what was more amazing, once the storm subsided they continued despite the fact the recording was by a well known symphony orchestra!

was this some sort of message? had hoffman-richter finally been given a sign as tothe path of his existence? there was no other explanation as deeply metaphysical questions hurled themselves into his tortured inner self. fascinated with this electronic magnificence he began coding the various movements at a furious pace. laughter burst through the air as he understood the humor of a passage, then within moments tears would flow. he remembered the kindly old professor (now dead) from his days as an eager young student at the berlin conservatory of music. he remembered the quivering old man's attempts to direct him, all the time knowing he possessed a bottomless well of creativity that must be unleashed or tragedy would wave its ugly wand.

as the cherbourg sky cleared, heins hoffman-richter walked out of his flat never to return. he wandered through the glistening streets to the train station, boarded the orient express, brushed past internationally renown spies, paid little heed of the intrigue, bid a final farewell to his romantic thoughts of catherine and cherbourg and began his odyssey.

soon the face of hoffman-richter became familiar as he haunted the most advanced electronic labs in germany, austria, england, japan, turkey, and tazmania. resistors, capacitors, connectors, excitors!!! they all added up to a tremendous and life-fulfilling experience. a euphoria rarely experienced by man, of this he was sure. he shrieked with delight and ignored the fact that many thought he had gone mad. he literally did cartwheels through mazes of electronic apparati upon completion of his composition "gidget gets in trouble" and suffered complete emotional exhaustion after wiring up "milkshake." the height of ecstacy was shattering following his coding of "this is my beloved's chamber" and "send out the clowns," "let the doubters scoff," he thought, "little do they know of true passion and dedication. little do they know of the power of electronic music and its ability to stimulate and freak out the weariest and wornest of hep cats!" heins hoffman-richter had found the true meaning and reason for his existence.

when premiered at a lower off-soho nightclub, the majority of the audience fled, trampling each other as they raced out into the london fog. bothered bobbies took a look inside, but quickly withdrew. only a few junkies stayed behind and really appreciated the initial performance. staunch in his beliefs, hoffman-richter was not dismayed and knew that royal albert hall and carnegie hall would be shockingly alive with his debut someday.

alas, he never personally witnessed that day for he died from an ear lobe tumor. however, we too believe in the love and dedication of this man toward the advancement of finer music. it is indeed an honor to present this outstanding collection of his works. it's wonderful that we were able to locate and reproduce these tapes so the world could finally pay homage to this remarkable talented and .dedicated. man. heins hoffman-richter has finally achieved his goal.

- richard oliver




r


enjoy......