My Podcast: The Holmes Archive of Electronic Music
My blog for the Bob Moog Foundation.
In this episode I catch up on filing some of the latest recordings I’ve collected for the archive. These are primarily recordings that I’ve gathered from various brick and mortar record stores, namely in my neighborhood in New York (A1 Records), but also from Ithaca (Angry Mom’s Records), Albany (Last Vestige Music Shop), Beacon, NY (Hudson Valley Vinyl), and Wallingford, CT (Redscroll Records). All are recommended if you are in those towns. Of course, when one shops at record stores one is not generally looking for anything specific. In my case, I gather anything that might be construed as even the least bit electronic or ambient or consisting of field recordings. Only one of the records included in this episode as purchased online because I was specifically targeting it—the album called Electronic Effects by Reynold Weidenaar. This is a broadcast library album but not just any broadcast library album. What makes it unique is that it was totally recorded in the studios of R. A. Moog Music in Trumansburg, NY, the original location of Bob Moog’s fledgling synthesizer company. It gives you a good sense for the variety of sounds that the Moog modules were creating at the time, just when the commercial explosion in synthesizer music was about to happen. The composer, Weidenaar, was also the editor of Bob Moog’s print publication at the time, a journal called Electronic Music Review, which published seven editions in 1967 and 1968.
The mix in this episode includes a variety of sounds, from Eighties industrial style music to a field recording including the sounds of an airplane ride in 1952 (78 RPM). Many countries are represented here as well: Spain, France, the UK, the US, Sweden, Japan, and Niger. I’ve tried to arrange the tracks in a somewhat related fashion based on their sound, style, and vibe. See if it works for you.
Episode 130
Recent Finds for the Electronic Music Archive
Playlist
Time | Track Time | Start |
Introduction –Thom Holmes | 04:18 | 00:00 |
Esplendor Geometrico, “Estación Katowice” and “Signos De Energía” from Kosmos Kino (1987 Discos Esplendor Geometrico). Percussion, Drum Machine, Vocals, Gabriel Riaza; Synthesizer, Drum Machine, Vocals, Noises, Arturo Lanz. Industrial music from Spain. | 10:08 | 04:42 |
KG, “My Magic Guitar,””Harry Escaped!,” “Die Sauberen Flöten,” “À L'enterrement De Kraftwerk,” “Fish And Chips Sugar Free,” “The Shotgun Gallery Drum School,” “The End Of The World” from Baraka (1997 Antimatière). French industrial band. Limited to 300 copies. Comes in a plain white cardboard cover with die-cut hole on center front. Back cover has two stamps: "ANTIMATIERE" and "MARRAKECH WVIII". | 11:55 | 14:46 |
Mystic Moods Orchestra, “The Look of Love” from The Mystic Moods Of Love (1968 Philips). Lushly weird arrangements with a silky vocal chorus and environmental sounds recorded by Brad Miller. This record came before the Mystic Moods Orchestra used a Moog synthesizer. Originally included a fragrance card affixed to the cover with the writing "A Romantic Fragrance has been added to this album to enhance your Mystic Moods of Love" (actual capitalization). | 03:30 | 26:37 |
Chris and Cosey, “Re-education Thru Labour” from Trance (1982 Rough Trade). Composed and Acoustic And Electronic Instrumentation by Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti. | 07:07 | 30:06 |
Chris and Cosey, “Put Yourself In Los Angeles” from Heartbeat (1981 Rough Trade). Produced, composed and Acoustic And Electronic Instrumentation by Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti. Synth, Cornet, Casio MT30, Tapes, Vocals, Cosey F. Tutti; Synth, Electronic Drums, Guitar, Casio MT30, Taped Voices, Vocals, Chris Carter. | 03:37 | 37:09 |
Skyliner Flight 35, side A, from Skyliner Flight 35 (Authentic Plane Sounds) (1952 Columbia). Directed by Hecky Krasno, Text by Leo Paris. 78 RPM. "Ride with the pilot as he flies a 4-engine Constellation from New York to California." Part of a series of children’s records from Columbia. | 03:25 | 40:56 |
Reynold Weidenaar, side A, tracks 1-5, “Neptune Two-Step #1,” “Neptune Two-Step #2,” “Neptune Two-Step #3,” “Computer Clip-Clop,” “Cosmic Capers” from Electronic Effects (1968 A Sam Fox Production). Composed by Reynold Weidenaar. Historically significant recording of the early Moog Modular Synthesizer by this collaborator of Moog, student Reynold Weidenaar. Around this time (1967-68), Weidenaar edited the journal that originated with Bob Moog, the short-lived Electronic Music Review. This recording was made in the electronic music studio of R.A. Moog Co. studio in Trumansburg, New York. Not many recordings were made there. It was distributed by a company specializing in broadcast library music, Sam Fox Productions. You can hear the raw power and versatility of the Moog Modular components in these short compositions. | 03:19 | 44:22 |
04:13 | 47:40 | |
Ralph Lundsten, The Paradise of Heroes” from Paradissymfonin (1980 Harvest). Produced, composed, Synthesizer, Keyboards, Arranged By, Voice, Effects, Ralph Lundsten; Choir, Annelie Sköld, Annica Risberg, Kai Kjäll-Andersson, Kerstin Bagge, Liza Öhman-Kling; Conductor, Lars Bagge; Drums, Peter Sundell; Electric Guitar, Electric Bass, Georg Wadenius; Flute, Keyboards, Björn J:Son Lindh; Harp, Gloria Lundell, Marie Eriksson; Keyboards, Wlodek Gulgowski; Pipe Organ, Birgit Lindkvist; Percussion, Björn Liljequist, Pétur Östlund; Percussion, Arranged By, Gunnar Lundqvist. Mr. Lundsten was a little like the Rick Wakeman of Sweden. He worked in his private studio and produced many thematic compostions and over 40 albums in his long career in music. | 05:46 | 51:52 |
Hiroshi Yoshimura, “Time Forest” from Soundscape 1: Surround (1986 Misawa Home). Composed, arranged, and performed by, Hiroshi Yoshimura. Hiroshi Yoshimura was a Japanese musician and composer, a pioneer of Japanese ongaku or environnemental music. Interestingly, this music was originally commissioned by a home builder to provide music to complement their newly built homes. Yoshimura described his music as being transparent, adding “Not all interiors are visual by nature; music as interior is none other than the interior of the heart.” | 10:38 | 57:36 |
Mamman Sani, “Dangay Kotyo” from Taaritt (2022 Sahel Sounds). Recorded 1985 to 1988 at Studio Samira in Niamey, Niger and Studio Kham Mai in Paris, France. This wonderful music was not released until recently. Composed, recorded by, Crumar Bit 99 v, Yamaha RX5 synthesizer, Roland TR-505 Drum Machine, Mammane Sani Abdoulaye. Sani is an early pioneer of synth music in Niger. Sani found unlikely fame in Denmark, regularly appearing in the playlist of Copenhagen bars. "In Niger we have sweet melodies. When the music is good, it's a positive vibration. When someone can cry because of a melody, there is something humane in them. If you are stressed, you can take this music like a tablet. It's music to cool down. It's not music for dancing, but maybe it can make you dream." | 04:11 | 01:08:11 |
Opening background music: Unknown Artist, side A, Ambient Battle Samples: Phase One: Enter The Stargate Manifold...(2003 The Crypticon Media Cartel). Produced, Controlled & Bankrolled by AL9000 Motherbrain (Alexandre Delmaere). From A side label : "These sounds are of intergalactic sonic property and available for any manipulations and outputs you so desire. Welcome to the Crypticon Media Cartel 2003. Original transmissions from sector 9.41 of Sirius-V during the last sonic cruise of the outer rings." Essentially, this is a list of electronic sound effects to be sampled and played by DJs. (15:05)
Opening and closing sequences voiced by Anne Benkovitz.
Additional opening, closing, and other incidental music by Thom Holmes.
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