Philip Glass - "Solo Music" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1975 (Shandar)

There are two different periods in Philip Glass's work or recordings.  The early works were truly minimal, and the later operas, orchestrations, are very much driven by melody.  Both periods have driven rhythms, but there is something special about the early works that I like a lot.  There is a zen quality to the work, that I don't want to say puts me in a spiritual place, but more aware of my mind going to other worlds.  Steve Reich hits me differently, because I'm aware of a system taking place, but Glass strikes me as being more emotional and riff-driven in that making a fist and hitting the air stance. 

"Contrary Motion" on side one is just Glass and his electric organ.  It's not a peaceful existence, but it is one that makes me sit down and listen to the work.  I never want to read the liner notes of a Glass album while I'm playing the record, on the other hand, I tend to read Reich's album notes, because of the structure of that piece being put together.   Reich is conceptual that focuses on the practice as well as the sound and Glass I think is just music.   Both do have a strong visual sensibility, but looking at the back cover of "Solo Music" it does truly look like a Brice Marden work of art.  A great album. 

György Ligeti - Ensemble Intercontemporain, Pierre Boulez -"Chamber Concerto"/"Ramifications"/"Aventures"/"Nouvelles Aventures" LP, Vinyl, 1983 (Deutsche Grammophon )

Side one is beautiful orchestration that slowly and seductively leads to tension that is released little by little.  Pierre Boulez's conducting the orchestra and György Ligeti's intense score is an amazing listening experience.   His music seems to hold energy into a small space, and once it dispels into the ears or listening room, it's a release that is almost sexual.  The harpsichord comes in and out of the orchestration or mixes in a very efficient manner.   Great music.

Side two is "Nouvelles Aventures," and it's mostly vocal work with a touch of instrumentation here and there.  Again it's a tightly held piece of intensity which keeps the listener on their toes.  DADA or Letterist like in performance, I have a feeling that there is a visual side to "Nouvelles Aventures."  

John Cage & Lejaren Hiller/Ben Johnson - "HPSCHD" / "String Quartet No. 2" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1969 (Nonesuch)

Of all the compositions of John Cage, this has to be the most intense or insane piece in his catalog of goodies.   Co-made and written with Lejaren Hiller, this is Cage's first adventure in the computer world that existed in 1969.   First of all the title, HPSCHD (1967-1969) is the word harpsichord reduced to the computer's six-word limit at the time.  It consists of 51 electronic sound tapes and seven solo compositions for harpsichord, all played at once.  If you have the means, you can hear the album on the left channel or the right channel, or in this case both.  This is not only the weirdest stereo/hi-fi adventure but one that is a challenging listening experience.  The irony is that the music is written for an old keyboard concept, but done in the most advanced manner in 1969.   What I get here is clearly what sounds like four or five harpsichords with various sheets of electric sounds, that at times sound like a generator or bits and pieces of melody, but very faint.  It's a noisy, full volume lease breaker of a record.  I think with respect to Cage's works, HPSCHD is the most extreme in its attack, noise, concept, and in general, Nonesuch was a brave label of its time.  The total opposite of Cage's famous 4:33.  Silence and noise.   It's 21 minutes of a relentless attack, yet, listening to it the time goes quickly.  I love it. 

Flip to the second side, and we have Ben Johnson's "String Quartet No. 2"(1962) and performed by The Composer's Quartet.  It's a work that reminds me of Schoenberg.  It's a moody work and emotional compared to Cage and Hiller's concept of making music.  It's work that is dissonant in tone, yet the sound is very sculptural to me.  I hear, but I can see it as well. It's interesting to note that Johnson was a friend of Harry Partch, and helped him build his instruments.  And he also studied with Cage as well as Darius Milhaud.  Johnson was (or still is) working on the foundation or perhaps storm, where the contemporary composition and practices took place.  "String Quartet 2" is demanding but pays off well, especially in its ending which is very serene and quiet.  Unlike the other side!

Tony Conrad - "Ten Years Alive On The Infinite Plain" 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, 2017 (Superior Viaduct)

A combination of Violin, something called the Long String Drone, and of course, the Bass Pulse is a blissful listening experience.  Ambient it's ain't because the music makes the listener pay full attention.  A good work to play loud, and a groove maker it is.   Tony Conrad had put together a multi-media presentation called "Ten Years Alive On The Infinite Plain" in 1972, and this is the recording of its soundtrack or music at the world famous Kitchen in New York City. 

I can't speak for the event because I wasn't there, but the music holds up significantly due to its length, and the skills of the three musicians on this specific piece.  Laurie Spiegel plays what I think is a bass guitar, but not sure.  The liner notes are not that clear what she's exactly playing.  Rhys Chatham plays the Long String Drone, an instrument made by Conrad.  It is a drone instrument, but it has a bass type of sound as well.  So the combination of the Bass Pulse and Chatham's playing of the Drone has a strong rhythmic foundation backing Conrad's cluster full of droning notes. 

As most things called Minimalism, this is actually a maximum piece of work.  Pure in mind, but complex in its structure and takes a physical stance playing this music.   Conrad had done performances of this piece using various instrumentation, but alas, those shows were not recorded (as far as I know), so the opening or premiere is what this album is.  The ultimate headphone laying on the floor with a pillow type of music. I love it. 

Karl Appel - "Musique Barbare Van" (Sub Rosa) Vinyl

The visual artist and poet, Karel Appel, was one of the founders of the art group COBRA, which lasted from 1948 to 1951.   The group was the first burp for the oncoming Situationist International, as well as the Letterists.  Beyond that, Appel had a long career in the arts, and even made an album.  Which is "Musique Barbare Van."  It's a soundtrack to a documentary on Appel by Jan Vrijman.  The music / recording made with Frits Weiland, is classic Musique Concrete, circa. 1963.  Percussions of all sorts, a piano/organ here and there, as well as Appel yelling and doing vocals. 

I'm fascinated by painters or visual artists who do something else besides the visuals.  For instance, making an album or making music.  We have five senses, and an artist should be free to appeal or use different mediums - such as the use of ears or making sounds for the ear - which also has a theatrical aspect to it as well.  Listening to the album, one gathers Appel just went amok in the recording studio - and he used it as an extension of his painting studio, perhaps, or in theory.   

And as theory goes, COBRA was very much attached to the idea of children looking at art.  In other words, they strip away the sophistication of an adult and jump into the playground that is in their mind.   The music or sounds on this album reflects that attitude.  There are moments (especially with the electric organ) that is quite beautiful.   This album is a must for those who are interested in avant-garde Europe of the mid-20th century.   Look at it as a document, or a work of art - it works in both positions. 

Luciano Berio / Swingle II -"A-Ronne" / "Cries of London" (Decca) Vinyl 1976

Not only am I a Swingle Singers fan, especially when they are performing Bach via only their voices - but also admire the fact that the group broke off, went to London, and became Swingle II.  Here they team up with composer Luciano Berio to do two vocal pieces.  

"A-Ronne" is based on words/poetry by Italian poet Edoardo Sanguineti.   But also includes works by Karl Marx, James Joyce, Dante, Goethe, the Bible, T.S. Eliot, Samuel Beckett, and a quotation of Roland Barthe on Georges Bataille.  According to Berio, this is a documentary on Sanguinity's poem.  Nevertheless, since the work is mostly in Italian, I may be missing key elements, but still, it's a great piece of work.  The layer of voices at times reminds me of classic Beach Boys, but of course, in a very different manner. There are moments of great beauty, and at times it has a Fluxus touch in being absurd.  Over-all, even though it is only voices, the piece is very melodic and one does not need to read or understand Italian to enjoy this recording.  Without stating the obvious, Swingle II is quite magnificent.  Their range and them being open-minded in approaching new music are pretty amazing.  

Side two is "Cries in London," and it is in English.  In fact, it's very much a documentary of sorts on London merchant life perhaps centuries ago - or in 1976 (the recording of this album)?  Merchant life on the streets of London hasn't changed that much.   I suspect that Berio had an interest in Marx, and I have to imagine that "Cries of London" deals with the merchant class, and their daily struggle to survive.   To quote the liner notes: "the text is essentially a free choice of well-known phrases of vendors in the streets of Old London." It's an amazing piece of music for 8 voices.