And Now For Something Really Different.

Posted by: Bruce Woodhouse on 14 July 2012

Have you got something really unusual or surprising lurking in your collection?

 

I recently read an article entitled 'ten modern classical albums everyone should own' or something and one seemed quite fascinating namely Deep Listening by Pauline Olivieros, Stuart Dempster and Panaiotis


I lack the musical vocabulary to really explain what is going on but basically it is three  instrumentalists playing ambient atmospheric pieces on a variety of unconventional instruments (no electronics) inside a vast underground cistern with an enormously long reverb/decay time.

 

The effect is sonically very unusual and the music rolls and flows around in a very soothing and relaxing way. I surely would not listen to it all the time but if you are in the mood it can hit the spot, and it is quite unlike anything else I own.

 

Hope this might attract somebody else who is curious to investigate the album. Why not also share some curios from your music collections.

 

Bruce

Posted on: 14 July 2012 by BigH47

LP of the sound of the Spitfire(Supermarine).

Posted on: 15 July 2012 by Nick Lees

The band are actually called The Deep Listening Band (recorded at the Cistern Chapel Washington State), and as much as you can describe the undescribable, Bruce has managed it. Very good it is too.

 

My contribution: People Like Us & Wobbly - Music For The Fire. It's entirely made up form bits of music and speech cut up from other sources and treated. I can't pretend it's easy listening, but in the right mood is very good. Honest.

 

 

 

Now, to sooth you after that experience, one of my favourite albums of all time and not really obscure. It's Cosmic Sounds - The Zodiac (these days wrongly attributed the other way round which makes no sense at all, but hey). Music written by Mort Garson with spoken words on each of the twelve signs of the zodiac by a Bay Area folkie called Cyrus Faryar. Apart from some lovely tunes it has some great instrumental textures, amongst the rock instrumentation, including sitar, tibetan water bowls and the second recorded appearance of a Moog synthesizer, played by Paul Beaver.

 

All you have to do is get past the initial horror at the spoken bits. It was 1967 after all! Oh, and as the sleeve commands in purple capitals MUST BE PLAYED IN THE DARK.

 

 

Posted on: 15 July 2012 by m0omo0
Originally Posted by Gary Shaw:

Now, to sooth you after that experience, one of my favourite albums of all time and not really obscure. It's Cosmic Sounds - The Zodiac

 

So someone else owns this record ?

 

I didn't know one could find it on YT. It's a marvel, isn't it Gary ? Aquarius used to be my favourite.

 

Howard, it reminds me of my very first walkman: with it came a demo cassette with spectacular stereo effects, like an F1 race with the cars coming in and going out of your ears.

 

Great thread, thanks Bruce.

 

Maurice

Posted on: 17 July 2012 by TWP

Bruce ,, Not an officiall release but i have  a recording of  Dave Gedge of The  Wedding Present fame radio 4 show from some years ago.

 The recording is of a one of gig for a radio 4 show where he reconstructed Wedding Present songs into a big band production.....think Glen Miller

 

The result in my opinion is absolutely terrible and is really a crime against music however strangely compelling to listen to.

 If there  are any Wedding Present fans on the forum it is worth searching out just to hear if you can recognise some of the tracks. My Favourite Dress an Indie classic from the late  80's reduced to third rate lift music.

 

 

TWP

Posted on: 20 July 2012 by Yippedidou

Interesting thread...

 

Maybe you know Camille, a french singer. She has a couple of very very interesting cd's. She includes mouth and throat sounds into her music and frankly, Le Fil, one of her cd, is on my top 20 list of all times. On that cd, she has a note that plays still throughout the whole album. A very innovative and musical production. Highly recommended. 

She has another one which is entirely mouth sounds called Music Hole (making reference to her mouth I guess). A little bit tougher to listen but worth it.

Very nice artist.

 

Yip