Frank Gartner - Dramatics Electronic (Bosworth, UK) 1973

So, it's been a while since I've posted an album. Here's a classic British electronic library straight out of the lab. Radiophonic bleeps and bloops zip around the stereo-field in this brief but excellent album. I don't know much about Gartner, but anyone familiar with the classic electronic sounds of Raymond Scott, Daphne Oram, Radiophonic Workshop, Eric Siday, etc... will find much to love here, as this mines very similar territory to those groundbreaking pioneers. Conceptually this seems balanced between a loose blend of outer space, underwater and science-class whimsy. Jarring electronic tones mesh with harp, guitar and other sounds to create a rich palette of enchanting space music, at once dark and exploratory as well as humorous in places. Dramatics Electronic

Library music, etc... on Free Form FFFreakout

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Free Form FFFreakout

Hi folks, I apologize for the lack of updates. My record ripping set-up has been in "transition" (ie... just barely got a new computer/DAW), so I haven't been able to do much lately while I navigate my way around things.

Anyway, I just wanted to drop a note and say that sometime within a week or so I will be on the Free Form FFFreakout site's next podcast discussing library music (the sort that I share around here) with resident cool guy David Perron, as well as my own musical endeavor Panabrite. I've got two new LPs coming out over the next few weeks I'm excited about. Please excuse the shameless self-promotion!

2011 Favorites

Since I don't have a record ready to post yet (coming early next year), I thought I'd pause and reflect on the new music this past year. I felt there were numerous fantastic albums coming from all angles. I realize this blog is dedicated to sounds from the past (and I will never upload and share anything new/recent/in-print here), but over the past couple of years I've been getting more and more back into new/contemporary music after having gone through a very long phase of devouring, researching and obsessing over vintage records. Sure, a good portion of new music I enjoy now is directly influenced by the type of albums I share on this blog, so I guess it's all very cyclical in the end, anyway.

I'm actually having trouble remembering some new music that I'm pretty sure I loved upon hearing. It's just that sitting near a pile (physically and hard-drive related) of it all can be daunting, and sure, some amazing things get lost along the way. These entries are not in any order. I made separate lists for Lps and tapes. I bought/traded/downloaded/streamed about a million tapes this year, and while there were so many great ones, I tried to narrow it down to the titles I felt were the strongest; relying less on predictable sounds, or just doing a familiar sound very well. All of this is, of course, is extremely subjective. I'm not saying "this is the definitive 2011" or anything silly, but since the entire world is cobbling together various lists I thought I'd join the game as a little holdover until my next post early next year. As always, thanks for stopping by!!

LPs:
Imaginary Softwoods The Path of Spectrolite (Amethyst Sunset)
John Elliott from Emeralds makes and releases a ton of music, but for me this is his crowning achievement thus far; a beautiful collection of modern experimental new-age synth what-have-you. Glassy and shimmering, but very propulsive and above all just great listening. Fans of Iasos and the like would very much enjoy these tones I'm sure.

Steve Moore Primitive Neural Pathways (Static Caravan)
*Technically this came out in late December 2010, but I don't think it had a fair chance last year. Here the Zombi synth master really kills it on this brief LP of smooth J.M. Jarre/Berlin school/minimal synth tunes. Very well composed, infectious and just great. Will someone please hire him to compose the soundtrack to a new epic sci-fi film already please?

Forma Forma (Spectrum Spools)
Excellent debut LP from this NYC trio of synths and drum machines. Forma compose very taut and direct music that is equally driving and contemplative, but never static or generic. I like the juxtaposition of mid-80's drum machines against the spacey analog synth mist, which gives a fresh perspective to all this "kosmische" jargon. It's a nice merging of post-punk and experimental electronics. Reminds me quite a bit of parts of Craig Leon's album Visiting, which I posted here a couple of years ago.

The Advisory Circle As the Crow Flies (Ghost Box)
Just a beautiful collection of tunes lovingly produced into a film-like narrative, like most of the Advisory Circle works. Jon Brooks knows his way around a synthesizer or two and can really coax the most heartbreaking sounds out of them. One minute it's all Wicker Man pastoral folk, then it's down into the scary depths of Radiophonic Workshop hell, with many incredible, anthemic tracks in between. After the introduction tone, the opening song charges out of the gate with such pounding majesty and a brilliant hook, that you nearly want to fist-pump in the air. A very solid album from one of my long-time favorites!

Bitchin Bajas Water Wrackets (Kallistei)
A brief but concise musical interpretation of Peter Greenaway's 1975 short film of the same name, about a mythical tribe of people in some unnamed time. Of course, the film only consists of idyllic nature shots of rippling water and leafy wilderness with narration recalling the detailed and strange story. I don't really know how Cooper Crane's solo work as Bitchin Bajas comes into the picture in relation to the film, but on its own merits this is a fantastic album of murky organ-led vignettes and blurry synth warble. Often pensive and sparse, and at turns upbeat and utterly cosmic, this is a very appealing and engrossing sound.

Matt Carlson Particle Language (Draft)
Portland, Oregon's Matt Carlson is the synth half of the synth/Clarinet duo Golden Retriever, and although that project consists of more placcid and majestic drones, here he unleashes his most intense and focused modular synth mastery with insane and nearly absurd brilliance, covering ground from pure concrete bleep to futuristic vocoder robot hell, to dense, completely realized electronic zones that fill the entire stereo-field with micro details of oscillators flying off into all directions, and compressed voids dripping with spent electronic detritus. Truly amazing, and one of the boldest electronic albums in a long time.

Nate Young Regression vol. 2 (NNA)
Spooky and brooding sounds from Wolf Eyes member. I like this in part because it has such a similar quality to some of the dark concrete library and soundtrack works from Egisto Macchi or Giuliano Sorgini; rumbling and buzzing tones that are really bleak and spare but strangely hypnotizing.

Le Révélateur Fictions (Gneiss Things)
Epic synth works from Roger Tellier-Craig. Fictions consists of three long-form compositions that unfold slowly and magically like an epic celestial journey. Layers of airtight sequences overlap and propel rhythms amid a rich bed of swelling organ patterns and buzzing oscillations. Truly larger than life. If you can imagine the dense, swirling sounds of Terry Riley and Ariel Kalma mixed with more cosmic electronics you can get a good idea, but that sounds like a lazy comparison, so I'll leave it at that.

Jonas Palm De-Compositions (reissue/archival)(Börft)
Archival issue of a "lost" 1981 album of nice spacey minimal synth in the vein of other early 80's euro tape-scene gods Cybe or Enno Velthuys. Solid.

Conrad Schnitzler Live ’72 (Further Records) (archival)
Further Records truly nailed it with this monster double LP issue of a previously unreleased live performance. There is a little for everyone here; you can hear early versions of music that would later show up on the classic Con LP, as well as many familiar strains from the then-contemporary color series (Rot, Blau, etc...). The brilliance of the music is only matched by the incredible mastering/sound and presentation. This is a veritable best-of, covering the many moods of Schnitzler, from cold metallic skree to the more rhythmic bounce of later works. To be honest, I've had difficulty in believing this is actually from 1972 and not, say, 1978, since many of the tracks feature sequences and sounds that seem a bit early for 1972. But that could just speak to his forward-thinking brilliance! Essential.

He passed away this year. RIP Con.

1958-2009 1958-2009 (Amethyst Sunset)
A beautifully blissed-out ambient guitar/synth record from this collaborative duo of Earn/Ekhein tapes' Matthew Sullivan and Mirror to Mirror/Jugular Forest's Alex Twomey. 1958-2009 is the lifespan of Michael Jackson, for whom they draw inspiration from on this project, and whose likeness appears on this LP as well as several tapes.

No UFO’s Mind Controls the Flood (Public Information)
Great short LP (or EP?) of tweaked electronics and kosmische trash, and the second release on the new Public Information label, whose debut release Solitary Pursuits, by ADR, is a fantastic slab of retro/modern sci-fi library sounds. Here, Konrad Jandavs unleashes a wide variety of sounds, from abrasive electronics to blips of detroit techno, to head-scratching ambient bliss, but with a unique focus and vision. Also look out for the recent LP reissue of the 2010 tape Soft Coast on Spectrum Spools. I love the energy and unpredictable nature of his sound. Can't wait for the next album.

Pulse Emitter Spiritual Vistas (Cylindrical Habitat Modules/Expansive)
The most concise and beautiful Pulse Emitter work yet, here showcasing a spare and cosmic ambient sound: very patient and slowly unfolding clusters of focused modular synth lines, that really do seem to imbue a sense of nature and wonder, but also keep your head firmly in the cosmos, as it should be.

Hans-Joachim Roedelius Wasser im Wind (reissue/archival)(Bureau B)
Yet another vintage Roedelius album appears, brought back to light from an endless well of early 80's productivity, and in keeping with his nature, this is quite different than the last. The production is crisp, there is added instrumentation (sax!) and some guitar, though the focus falls squarely on Roedelius' patented keyboard warble, complete with accompaniment from the same ancient drum machine that likely trudged its way through Zuckerzeit. Really great!

Matsuo Ohno I Saw the Outer Limits (reissue/archival)(EM)
Beautiful LP reissue (courtesy of impeccable Japanese label EM) by this legendary Japanese "sound artist", who, on this 1978 album created a virtual tour of the galaxy, recreating the deep and scary sounds of space utilizing an army of synthesizers. This is by no means ambient music, instead coming more from a tape/concrete approach, although to me it is highly listenable and really breathtaking. I won't waste time going into details since information has been presented very succinctly over here.

Ricardo Donoso Progress Chance (Digitalis)
Super sharp, focused and hypnotic set of electronic bliss. It's been described as techno/rave jams with the beats removed, and I can't really add anything to that, other than the compositions are beautiful, thoughtful, wistful and just kick-ass. Not a moment is wasted on extraneous ambience or bleepy sounds. Also, this is one of the most amazing sounding records I've spun in years.

Helm Cryptography (Kye)
Beautifully bleak and disorienting, but very immersive. There is a peculiar quality to this LP that keeps me coming back. It's great ambient but is too overtly involved to be merely background music, and isn't necessarily "pleasant" most of the time. At any rate a solid "drone" album in a sea of dime-a-dozens. Kye rules!

Call Back the Giants Rise (Kye)
Second Kye release on this list, and second LP from this ex-Shadow Ring member! Here the focus is on zoned out synth mayhem, with spooked spoken word and mildly psychedelic detritus sort of crumbling all around you. There's an "off" charm to this stuff that really works in its favor. The not-quite-rhythms stumble around, keyboard motifs sort of wander off into a cosmic stupor and the occasional words hang over everything like some evil guide. In other words... great!!

The Caretaker An Empty Bliss Beyond This World (History Always Favours The Winners)
An album that's been showing up on many end-of-year lists, and an inclusion I can get behind. I've long been a fan of this type of sound (Philip Jeck's ancient turntable collages come to mind). I think a full album's worth of this thing may seem gimmicky, or be a bit of overkill, but for what's it's worth, the tracks here are executed brilliantly and the mood created is equally blissful and unsettling. Sure, the Shining references abound, but they really are apt in a good way; capturing that deeply spooked feeling, barring any sort of romantic nostalgia. I mean downright UNSETTLING.

*Sidenote/rant: I'm a little burned on the record crackle/sample thing, though. I guess I devoured too many Mille Plateaux and Chain Reaction glitch albums in the 90's to the point where now if I hear a lot of crackle-glitch I get a little twitchy, if you know what I mean.

Mandelbrot & Skyy OD Axis (Digitalis)
Modest kosmische-esque side-project of Jeff "Rene Hell" Witscher and Darren "Driphouse" Ho, balancing between bouncy and strangely accessible electronics to more abstract synth explorations. Pretty solid!

TAPES/CDS:
Secret Pyramid – Silent March CS (Nice Up Int'l)
As others have noted, this is like the perfect marriage between Aguirre-era Popol Vuh and blown out dream-noise work by Flying Saucer Attack. Planet-sized guitar distortion rips across the horizon as the choir roars underneath. Intense and beautiful.
Bill Doob – Virtually Underwater CS (Inspired School of Astral Music)
Portland-based Bill Doob has been putting out some quality (and quantity!) zoned-out, mind-void tonefloat drone recently, and this is my favorite, and not only because I have a "thing" for underwater music. You could say it's very similar to the tape-eroded prism jams made by Josh Burke, but it's just fine as is.
Ken Seeno - Invisible Surfer on an Invisible Wave CS (NNA)
A breath of fresh air in the zoned-out/droned-out tape world, Ken Seeno offers a clean slab of thoughtful guitar/synth compositions that carry a breezy 80's vibe, but through a weird filter to keep it interesting.
Hobo Cubes - Timeless/Mindless CD (Debacle)
Album number 1,394 from Hobo Frank sees him delving further into the vortex hinted at on early works, while simultaneously trying out some wonderful new, almost-melodic sounds. One of his strongest statements! Great sleeve too.
Earn – Hell on Earth CS (Ekhein)
Pure bliss-float. I don't know how he keeps a sustainted tone so rich, while you can almost hear little patterns sticking out now and then. Truly transcendental.
Radio People - Avalon CS (Centre)
A great, concise collection of strong, anthemic synth-tunes hinting at the sophistication to come on the Hazel Lp, though this one still really sticks out from the pack.
Femminielli - Carte Blanche Aux Désirs CS (Los Discos Enfantasmes)
What else can you say other than this is the sexiest shit ever?? It's all here: epic kraut-synth journeys, pumping minimal synth, decadent post-Moroder disco void, etc...
Water Lily Jaguar - Voyage Of Hope / Voyage Of Discovery CSX2 (Sound Holes)
Epic double cassette of lo-fi new age synth warble, caught between Dolphins into the Future and Josh Burke, but with a unique enough approach to set it apart. I really like this project, and have enjoyed all the tapes I've heard.
Element Kuuda – Flight 2 CS (Fadeaway Tapes)
Another classy set of electronic drift by Montreal's Christian Richer. Here two side-long tracks slowly unfold with warm synths and micro details skittering all around. So good.
Cloudland Ballroom - Illusion Circles CS (Aguirre)
Wonderful, heavy cosmic synthesizer pieces courtesy of James Moore. Brief and fresh, and yet so ancient sounding.
Brain Fruit - 1.1 CD (Debacle)
Super tight and taut cosmic synth jams with strains of pumping techno.
Dry Valleys – Aqua Aura CS (Hooker Vision)
Really beautiful drone ambient bliss that stands out from the pack. Nicely done!
Mpala Garoo – Ou Du Monde CS (Sweat Lodge Guru)
Another great change of pace from the usual tape stuff. Here there's a hazy summer-like vibe of lazy guitars, dub-echo and warm beds of ambient sound with slight percussive elements in places. Someone needs to do an LP issue of this.
Lunar Miasma – Gateway CS (Digitalis)
Beautiful, epic electronic mantras from this modern day Greek synth-wizard.
Ghostrider – Demons CS (Hobo Cult)
Fantastic, thoughtful electronic compositions from Germany's Jens Pauly. There's an attention to detail that's very admirable. Really great.

Missing post...

In case anyone was looking for the Lunar Atrium 2 mix posted below several months ago, apparently there was a content/copyright complaint, so blogger deleted it a couple weeks ago.

More stuff coming here soon...

Various Artists - Insound 1: Electronic/Computer Music (Edipan, Italy) 1982

Courtesy of Bruno Nicolai's library label Edipan comes the first installment in the three-part Insound series, showcasing early 80's Italian electronic composers utilizing computer technology to realize their compositions. The four tracks here range from minimal rumble to full-tilt drone. It's not necessarily easy listening but provides a very interesting look into the world of conceptual and intellectual electronic ideas. Why this was on a library label known for more breezy jazz and soundtrack material is a mystery, but it also makes Nicolai even more of a badass in my eyes (although I'm not sure to what extent he oversaw everything on this label). Please view the extensive notes on the sleeve and insert for additional info (photos below). Intense stuff...

*I apologize for the loud surface noise on some tracks! It's the best I could do, but hopefully you can get a good idea of the experience.

Insound 1

Joel Chadabe/Randall McClellan - Ideas of Movement at Bolton Landing/Distant Voices (Opus One, USA) 1974

Here are a couple of long-form modular synth compositions by two distinguished artists. It's very deliberate, slow moving and very sparse, similar to other early 70's conceptual, semi-academic synth pieces. Equally shy and somewhat shrill, those with a fondness for the work of Douglas Leedy, Steve Birchall, Subotnick, etc... may find some interesting tones...

*This is a very quiet record and the music is very sparse, so there may be a little surface noise here and there.

Chadabe/McClellan