Playlist "Psyche van het Folk", Radio Centraal, Antwerpen October 2004 A. NEW MUSIC & EXPERUMENTAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS : THE COLD BLUE LABEL & CHAS SMITH PART 1 : A SMALL INTRODUCTION TO THE COLD BLUE LABEL : This label releases New Music from Los Angeles, California composers. They released a couple of 10' in the 80's. These were reissued lately : * Cold Blue M. VA (Peter Garland, Rick Cox, Barney Childs, Daniel Lentz, Read Miller, Michael Jon Fink, Chas Smith) : The complete 10-inch series from Cold Blue (US,rec.1980-1982) *°°° CD1, Peter Garland : Matachin Dances (US,1980-1981)**° Tr.1, "dance1" 3 min Post-minimal violin duet with additional rhythm on gourd rattles. CD3, Rick Cox : These things stop breathing (US,1981)***° Tr.5, "These things stop breathing" 12 min -15 This piece starts with prepared electric (slide) guitar, becoming brilliant and sparkling with varied sounds. Then a clarinet catches in, and the mood comes slowly back to normal & earth again. Rick Cox cooperated with Ry Cooder before. A much more interesting release I find the next compilation album : * Cold Blue M. VA : Cold Blue (US,rec.1983-'84)****' Tr.2, Ingram Marshall : "Gradual Siciliano (for Gus)" 4 min Beautiful mandolin and piano, played as if with tiny dwarf hands, like a small memory, in waltz like form. Brilliant piece. Ingram worked often in studio with electronic music equipment, but at the same time he became also fascinated by Indonesian music, which he studied too. Tr.3, Peter Garland : "The three strange angels (1972-1973)" 7 min A giant-walk rhythm and small distant echoes played on piano, drum and bullroarer. I like this piece, also because it's very abstract, like it has a life on its own. I can almost sense visually the sound-space it creates. Tr.4, Daniel Lentz : "You can't see the forest..music,1971" 5 min A very conceptual theatre like piece on glass / bowl rhythm combined with a rhythmic broken up recording of spoken word. I can say the same here: this piece has a life on its own. Very good!! Tr.6, Jim Fox : "Appearance of Red" 6 min Recognisable piano lead melody with surreal cello, and an unrecognisable textured sound with electric guitar. A well produced composition. Recorded by Bill Cobb and Chas Smith. Tr.7, David Mahler : "La Ciudad de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles" 6 min Fine post-minimal piano piece. Tr.8, Read Miller : "Weddings, funerals, and children who cannot sleep" 3 min -46 Spoken word experimental piece, beautifully mixed. Again with a perfect processing by Chas Smith. Read Miller is percussionist (avant-pop and jazz groups), writer and composer. His compositions are related with spoken word pieces. Tr.10, Rick Cox : "Necessity" 5 min Experimental soundscape-like piece played by electric guitar and prepared electric guitar. Rick cooperated in various soundtracks, worked together with Ry Cooder, played in rock-and jazz ensembles. Tr.11, Michael Jon Fink : "Celesta solo" 4 min The beautiful sound of the celesta is rarely heard solo. It sounds between a 18th century large musical box and a metalophone. The composition has something of a slowly coming remembrance on innocent childhood dreams or something. Tr.13, James Tenney : "Spectral cannon for Conlon Nancarrow" 4 min -60 This is a composition playing around one note for player piano. The player piano has been tuned for the first 24 partials of the harmonic series on a low A. James is an electronic music/computer music pioneer. He was admired by John Cage. Highly recommended release of new composers and compositions. A wonderful collection and compilation, with great attention to sound detail into the compositions. All composers on both compilations are based around the Los Angeles circuit. PART 2 : CHAS SMITH : * Cold Blue M. VA (Peter Garland, Rick Cox, Barney Childs, Daniel Lentz, Read Miller, Michael Jon Fink, Chas Smith): The complete 10-inch series from Cold Blue (US, rec.1980-1982)*°°° CD3, Chas Smith (from 10-inch album, 1982)***' Tr.1, "After" 4 min Chas Smith earliest instrument of experimenting was the pedal steel guitar. Here he holds the middle between playing it and listening to the echoing sounds it produces. * Cold Blue Music Chas Smith : Nikko Wolverine (US,2000)***°' Tr.2, "Of one forbids" 8 min 72 This album is in fact introducing all of Chas Smith self-crafted and invented instruments. It explores the beauty of the sounds within and is a kind of first experimentation with it, combining various sound evolutions and sound combinations. Used for track 2 are copper box, bass tweed, Lockheed and Rededa Womans Choir. A broody piece. * Cold Blue M. Chas Smith: Aluminium Overcast (US,2001)***° Tr.2, "Gate 5" 6 min Tr.5, "Aluminium Overcast" 9 min (slightly shortened) Tr.6, "Nachthexen" 10 min 30 (shortened fragment) Here the sound experimentation seems to be structured in tuning and changing shape. Used on first track is the Cupper Box, flute and pedal steel guitar. On second chosen track also the Junior Blue is used. "Nachthexen" is like an aircraft-bomber impressive but with a kind of almost scary brooding energy.. * Cold Blue M. Chas Smith : an hour out of desert center (US,2003)****' Tr.1, "An hour out of desert center" 9 min -111 Musically I think this is the best release so far, because it's much more spavy/ multi-dimensional. First track is with pedal steel guitar, Bigsby lap guitar, crotales, zither, Pez Eater, cutters. Best starter for Chas Smith work. * private Buzzy Kimball : the best of (US,var)*°? Tr.17, "54note 13 limit" airplayed before on 'Sound Experiment #27', Indiana public radio, from IMPROVS 001 " This track in question, was probably recorded 20 years ago !!! and, it is just a single track of a dx-7II synthesizer that was retuned to a 54 note per octave just intonation tuning which included all the partials up thru the 13th harmonic. so there are a number of unusual intervals as well as some small ones which account for the effect !!!!! Alas, the tundra like winters and rain forest summers are very harsh on the electronic gear, some things survive some die; and yes, the dx7 was one of the casualties. (don't worry have something in development to replace it, and in some respects it's much more sophisticated )... Review : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/expmu2.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B. ANIMAL MUSIC * Mulatta Rec. Thai Elephant Orchestra : Elephonic Rhapsodies (THAI,2004)*°°°°' part 1 : elephants only Tr.1, "A child's guide to the elephant orchestra" 4 min Tr.2, "Phong solo" (self-composed by elephant) 2 min Tr.3, "The Ganesha Symphony, part 1", 4 min Tr.5, "The Ganesha Symphony, part 3", 3 min Tr.6, "The Ganesha Symphony, part 5", 3 min Tr.7, "The Ganesha Symphony, part 6", 3 min Tr.8, "An elephant's Swan Song" 3 min Tr.9, "Three Bath opera" 3 min 25 Incredible but the elephants play here Thai-like melodies. The instruments were often especially build for the elephants : lowboy (automobile gear cymbal), tubular bells and xylophones (called renats), Thai temple drums, cymbals, Thai gong, thundersheet, sawblade gong, special designed harmonicas, PVC panpipe, angalungs, special designed stringed bass, and a 6 string tambura with cello strings. All compositions are by Soldier and Liar, interpreted by the elephants. One composition is an improvisation by one elephant. Part 2 : humans with elephants Tr.10, "Little Elephant Saddle"(Thai trad.) 4 min -140 Drums and few other instruments & singing by elephants. Violin by human. Part 3 : music about elephants Tr.20, "Baby elephant walk" 3 min The only piece played without elephants, but it's a funny piece reminding us of a Hollywood version of elephants very much. Tr.24, "Beethoven's Pastorale Symphony, first movement (arranged by Soldier)" 9 min The piece is quiet funny. The playing together becomes a bit chaotic here, but it still is enjoyable. It is a brassband version of the piece. The elephant play various instruments, mostly in their own mode. The gongs and percussion comes in at the right time as thunder like flashes of excitement. The harmonica brings in funny moments too. Concluding instrument, played by an elephant, is of course the gong. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other playlists : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/2004.html General index page : www.radiocentraal.be/psychevanhetfolk More detailed index page : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/ Receive weekly this playlist before the radioshow with new reviews and additional comments : / ontvang wekelijks playlist vòòr de radio-uitzending : Subscribe / schrijf u in : psychevanhetfolk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com