[Vision2020] changing subjects...

Sun Jul 30 15:18:46 PDT 2006

All:

Music is an infinite universe, for all practical purposes... I'll never have
time to listen to but a small fraction of the music in the world.  But I
have loved "electronic" or "experimental" music since I was a teenager.

Karlheinz Stockhausen, Luciano Berio, Gyorgy Ligeti (just died in June, how
sad!  He composed the riveting solo piano piece in Kubrick's "Eyes Wide
Shut," and who can forget his otherworldly music in Kubrick's "2001: A Space
Odyssey?"), Edgard Varese, Iannis Xenakis etc. opened up astonishing worlds
of experimental soundscapes when I was an early teen.  This was before
Walter Carlo's "Switched On Bach," Pink Floyd and the Who's use of
synthesizers, the studio wizardry of Jimi Hendrix on "Electric Ladyland,"
the Beatles on "Revolver" and Sgt. Peppers," among other influences, made
electronic/experimental music more mainstream.  Now, experimental,
synthesizer and computer generated music is taken for granted.

Here is a short list of some favorites, some more recent, some not:

Wendy Carlos, "Tales of Heaven and Hell, 1998"  The same artist who brought
us the groundbreaking "Switched On Bach" in 1968. Yes, Walter became Wendy.
I could care less.  The same person to me!  Warning on album cover "Contains
genuinely scary material.  Use caution when listening alone or in the dark."

Synergy, "Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra," 1975.  Larry Fast's
composing and electronic execution of his music.  Not rock!  He's both
compositionally and technically incredible.  Worked with Peter Gabriel
extensively.  I've heard this hundreds of times, but it still induces the
holographic infinite sound cathedral response (well documented by modern
neuroscience as the ultimate state of being).

Vangelis, "Spiral," 1977.  The "Chariots of Fire" and "Bladerunner"
soundtracks brought Vangelis into the mainstream.  "Sprial" has a cut,
"Dervish D," "inspired by the Dervish dancer who by his whirling realizes
the spiraling of the universe."  Sufism, anyone?  An Islamic mystical
tradition.  Check out the movie "Baraka" to watch Dervish dancers in action.

Jean Michel Jarre, "Metamorphoses," 2000.  "Oxygen," 1976, Jarre's first
album, still brings chills!  No one makes music quite like this.

Steve Roach, "Light Fantastic," 1999.  Relatively unknown genius.  Often
integrates electronics with tribal ethnic trance using traditional
instruments from Australian and North and Central American cultures.  I love
Rain Sticks!

Juno Reactor, "Labyrinth," 2004.  Millions have heard their music from the
"Matrix" soundtracks.  I suspect Matrix writer/directors The Wachowski
Brothers must have been big fans of these artists.  Can you imagine how much
money Juno Reactor made with their music heavily featured on the Matrix
films?  Some of the best modern electronica, a couple of steps above the
rest. "Bible of Dreams," 1997, is a luminous transcendent wonder.

Can't forget pioneer electronic wizards Tangerine Dream.  "Tangram," from
1980, is a dreamy and blissful work.

Future Sound of London (sometimes Amorphous Androgynous, but same artists),
"Lifeforms," 1994, or "Dead Cities," 1996.  This is music from another
planet, very electronic and experimental, too good to be a best seller.  Now
they are reborn as spiritual visionaries on "The Isness," 2002, and "Alice
In Ultraland," 2005, doing more accessible song oriented music some compare
to early Pink Floyd combined with the Beatles from "Sgt. Pepper."  They are
more well known in their native United Kingdom market.

Orbital, "The Middle of Nowhere," 1999.  Orbital had soundtrack music on
"The Saint" with Val Kilmer, and scored the entire film "Octane" with
Madeleine Stowe.  I worship these guys, especially 1996's "The Insides," one
of the greatest modern electronica albums.  Puts most of the posers in this
genre in their place, weaving numerous simple rhythmic and musical ideas
into complex tapestries (excuse the trite phrase, if you can).

The Orb, "Orbus Terrarum," 1995.  Dr. (is he really a doctor?) Alex Paterson
and company.  A classic of the electronica movement.  Just watch out for the
slug eating piece at the end... What were they thinking?

And finally, from back before all the cool computer kids who think they
invented electronic/experimental music took over, Iannis Xenakis was blowing
minds with "Orient-Occident," 1960.  I heard this in the early 1960's and
was taken by the fact I was listening to the ionosphere.  Read about this at
the link below:

http://www.emfmedia.org/catalog/em102.html

'Orient-Occident' (1960), commissioned by UNESCO as music for a film by
Enrico Fulchignoni, uses the sounds of bowed boxes, bells and metal rods,
sounds from the ionosphere, and a speed-altered excerpt from Xenakis'
orchestral work 'Pitoprakta' are combined to create a work suggestive of the
themes of the film, which tracks the development of civilization.
----------------
Ted Moffett

"The more I know, the more I know I don't know."

On 7/30/06, keely emerinemix <kjajmix1 at msn.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> I bet I'm not the only one looking for a change in topics, and so, at the
> risk of sounding shallow, I wonder if we could lighten up a bit and switch
> the focus . . .
>
> A constant source of amazement, not to mention occasional ridicule, is my
> allegedly awful taste in music.  I endured the scorn of my Vision friends
> when I admitted that I'm not a Sly and the Family Stone afficionado, and
> my
> husband is mortified that I have joined the teeming mass of middle-aged
> Christian housewives who really like punk music.  Accordingly, then, an
> endorsement from me probably is enough to ensure that no one else dares
> try
> anything I listen to, but, for all it's worth, I've discovered some
> absolutely wonderful music this summer.  What gems are you all listening
> to?
> Do tell, and promise you won't think less of me for the list below:
>
> 1.  The Raconteurs "Toy Broken Boy Soldier"  --  Hands down the best debut
> album I've ever heard.  It's rarely left my car's CD player.  Excellent
> post-punk pop with hooks reminiscent of late-70s/early-80s indie bands.
>
> 2.   Crashdog "Cashists, Fascists, and Other Fungus" -- After more than a
> decade, this treasure from the late, great Jesus People USA house punk
> band
> still kicks.  Raw, angry, yet lyrical punk that manages to be both
> prophetic
> and worshipful.
>
> 3.   Daniel Amos "John Wayne" -- Every song's a winner!  Lyrically
> stirring,
> bitingly funny, and with DA's signature musicianship, which veers from
> arena
> rock to rockabilly to post-punk to New Wave.  If they lived here, they'd
> be
> my new best friends.
>
> 4.  Jennifer Knapp  "Kansas" -- Overcoming my distrust of sensitive
> singer-songwriters, especially evangelical ones, I discovered one of the
> most beautiful, poignant, convicting songs I've ever heard in "Martyrs and
> Thieves."  JK is angry, hurt, tattooed, dark and altogether lovely.  She
> toured with Lillith Fest and thus alienated her Christian base.  This can
> only be a good thing.
>
> 5.  Emmylou Harris and Mark Knopfler "Road Running" -- Emmylou Harris
> could
> sing the back of a cereal box and rip my heart open; with Mark Knopfler's
> brooding vocals, this bluegrass/blues/folk collection will enliven every
> radioplay-deadened cell in your body.
>
> OK, what great tunes am I missing?  I'd love to know what you all are
> listening to.  (Note to Bruce Livingston:  Yes, if Sly Stone ever sings
> the
> Emmylou Harris songbook, I promise to listen . . . )
>
> keely
>
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