Category: track of the day

Martin Zeichnete – Morgenröte

Martin Zeichnete was a sound editor with the state-owned East German film studio, the Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft, when he began hearing the cosmic sounds of Kraftwerk, Neu!, and Can drifting over the Berlin Wall and into his radio. An avid runner, he had the idea of utilizing this new electronic music as training music. After telling a few of his colleagues this idea, he was approached by two state agents and brought to an undisclosed location where they interrogated him for a few hours. To his surprise, they informed him that the project would begin immediately.

From 1972 until 1983 he and a group of other musicians recorded music for East German Olympians in a variety of events, from running to gymnastic floor routines. He also composed ambient music to be played in stadiums before events began. Athletes were some of the first people on the other side of the wall to get Walkmen, which they received specifically in conjunction with what Martin and his associates called Projekt Kosmischer Läufer or “Cosmic Runner.” Though the recordings were technically property of the state, he spirited as many as he could away but assumed the masters were destroyed in the chaos surrounding the fall of the Soviet Union. Luckily an engineer had saved many recordings, and they were released by Unknown Capability Recordings, with Volume 1 coming in 2013 and Volume 2 coming in March of 2014. They just announced that pre-order Volume 3 is available for pre-order. Volume 3 consists of more running tracks along with the soundtrack to an aborted animated film project designed to help an East German bid to host the Olympics. Unknown Capability also has a page with lots of other information about this awesome project, so check it out.

Lal & Mike Waterson – Danny Rose

Perhaps best known for their tight vocal harmonies and recordings of old folk standards as The Watersons, Danny Rose comes off Lal and Mike Watersons now-beloved folk classic Bright Phoebus. The renewed interest in folk music in the 1960s was kind to the ancient sounding vocal work of The Waterson Family. However, many fans of their vocal work were not kind to Bright Phoebus because it incorporated elements of rock n’ roll and country music, an apparent betrayal to their central role in the folk revival. It was beset by further problems when half of the 2,000 albums were pressed with center holes which were not quite center followed by their label, Trailer Records, going bankrupt soon after.

Since this initial frosty response, it has since been embraced as a pioneering record and many covers have been recorded. The best version I’ve heard comes from Hiss Golden Messenger and William Tyler who I first heard perform it on a cassette recording of a session at Duke University’s WXDU. The record was recorded in a tizzy over a two week period, and includes performances from Richard Thompson and Steeleye Span’s Tim Hart. Lal Waterson passed away in 2009 and Mike went two years later, leaving behind a once-forgotten gem that has now become a collector’s items, with original pressings fetching as much as 280 bucks.

Jerry Hionis – Last Days of Worms

Jerry Hionis is an American Primitive-style guitar player who, when he’s not picking away, is also an assistant professor of Economics. I think that’s a first here at Orion’s Bastard. He researches fancy sounding things like conflict theory, but I’m mostly interested in the music, though some of his research does sound pretty interesting. According to his Facebook he’s got some new stuff in the works, which is very exciting. This post is a little lighter on info than usual but I think the music itself is pretty solid.

Mathias Grassow – Meditation Waves

Mathias Grassow has been recording synthesizer music since the mid 80s, where he drew inspiration from fellow German groups like Popol Vuh and Tangerine Dream and began recording a meditative blend of New Age and Krautrock. His first release, At the Gates of Dawn, came out on cassette in 1986. In addition to synth he also records with flute, guitar, and other electronics and while live performances are rare, they are crafted to create an immersive experience.

In this kind of music it’s very important, to have a nice place to play – not normal locations, but more places like a church, caves (remember my ‘Lanzarote concerts’) and open-airs.

I tried to find some pictures of those concerts but was unable to find any, but this video of a performance seems to capture the spirit nicely. In fact a recent concert of his took place at a retreat in Germany where all the guests had just completed a ten day vow of silence! While much of his output consists of solo works, he has released collaborations with Agalloch member John Haugm and Closing the Eternity in addition to projects like Nostalgia and KarmaCosmic. Most if not all his discography his available for streaming/purchase on his Bandcamp page. Those interested in physical releases should head over to Discogs.

Celer – Ceramic Foam Party

This track by Celer comes from the period where the project comprised the husband and wife duo of Will Long and Danielle Baquet-Long, who recorded under the name Chubby Wolf. After Baquet-Long passed away in 2009, Long has continued to record under the Celer name and also runs the Two Acorns label.

The couple began releasing cassettes themselves in 2004, with each packaged in hand decorated artwork like this packaging for a compilation bundle of multiple releases housing mini CDs, a standard CD and a 7″ single:

exterior of Brittle

interior of one package

The CDs, mini CDs, 7″ came in their own enclosure and were held together with string. According to Hard Format (also the source of the above images) this was one of the last designs Danielle made. While Celer’s packaging has perhaps become more standard, the number of releases per year has remained consistently impressive: Celer has had at least three releases every year since their founding, with thirteen full length releases and singles in 2009 alone. Those interested in hearing more and purchasing digital and physical releases should head to Celer’s Bandcamp, where much of their output is available for streaming and purchase.

Eluvium – Zerthis Was a Shivering Image

Lambent Material was the first output of Portland-based ambient composer Eluvium (aka Matthew Cooper), which was released by Temporary Residence in 2003. Temporary Residence is perhaps best known as the label for Explosions in The Sky (aka the music you inadvertently wept to while watching Friday Night Lights). In addition to sharing a label, Eluvium also collaborates with Explosions in the Sky guitarist Mark T Smith under the name Inventions. In 2009 Temporary Residence put out a box set collecting nearly all Eluvium’s material from 2003-2007 entitled Life Through Bombardment vol. 1. If you’re like me and only know about this recently, the fact that they sell for an average of 200 bucks is a big bummer. However, the second installment in the series is set to ship in December 2015 and it’ll only set you back a cool 150! His output varies from solo piano material which draws from more traditionally classical material like Erik Satie and Chopin to noise-infused drones reminiscent of Mathias Grassow and Coil’s Time Machines. Eluvium’s most recent solo release was January’s Pedals/Petals with an EP from Inventions entitled Blanket Waves coming this month.

William Fowler Collins – The Ghosts of Eden Trail

A transplant from the East Coast to Albuquerque, William Fowler Collins has been combining guitar sounds, various processing effects and electronics, and cassette recording equipment to create brooding experimental works since 2008. Perdition Hill Radio was released by Type Records in 2009 and it bounced around a while before entering into my record collection a few years later and it’s been a match made in heaven. Deep drones persist throughout the record and it aurally captures a sparseness that, according to Tiny Mix Tapes:

is the soundtrack for going under. The other channels on the radio dial have completely vanished into the void with almost everything else.

In addition to his solo releases, Collins has collaborated or been featured on split releases with Daniel Menche and GoG. A graduate of the MFA program in Music at Mills College, he was teaching a class at Sound Art at the University of New Mexico as of the most recent update, where he is doing the Lord’s work introducing people to Merzbow. Those interested in hearing more from collins should check out his Bandcamp or Discogs.

Gary Higgins – Thicker Than A Smokey

Gary Higgins recorded only one album, 1973’s Red Hash, before he was arrested on drug charges, never to record again. Luckily for us, he left an absolute gem of a record, with beautifully sparse guitar arrangement and an irresistible loner charm. According to this interview it was recorded in hurried sessions before Higgins was to begin his prison term, and was released on Nufusmoon Records. Though well received at the time, Higgins confinement made touring to support it impossible and it was largely forgotten outside of record collecting circles, where it is considered quite the find. Six Organs of Admittance, aka Ben Chasny, recorded a cover of Thicker Than A Smokey for his 2005 Drag City release School of The Flower, and on the liner notes he included a plea for information about Higgins. Eventually Drag City reissued Red Hash with two bonus tracks and Higgins would eventually perform with Six Organs of Admittance on tour. When asked about plans to record again, Higgins was cryptically hopeful:

That is ongoing and always will be; there are lots of things in the archives and on the stove…how or what makes it out there is yet to be seen. Having an avenue to make that possible is my greatest realization with all this renewed interest.

Here’s hoping for more Higgins!

Aidan Baker – I Flay My Skin to Write These Letters to You

This is one of the first records I bought and I’m amazed it hasn’t been worn out yet. Originally released as a CDr back in 2002 by Baker’s imprint Arcolepsy Records, it was reissued on vinyl in 2008 by Basses Frequences based out of France. Aidan Baker makes up one half (with Leah Buckareff) of the drone duo Nadja. Although initially a side project for Baker, who still releases solo work at a staggering rate, he has been touring with Nadja more as of late. This CDr from 2002 was his second release, but fans of Nadja might recognize some sonic elements which carry through to his later collaborations. Those interested in listening to more Nadja should check out Radiance of Shadows. Baker was classically trained on flute, but has taught himself the guitar, various percussion instruments, as well as the use of various electronics and tape manipulation techniques.

Colin McPhee & Benjamin Britten – Balinese Ceremonial Music, For 2 Pianos

As Nadia Sirota said on her great music podcast from WQXR, Meet the Composer, the Indonesian Gamelan is perhaps the most influential Eastern tradition in terms of its effect on Western music. It was introduced to most Westerners at the Paris Exhibition in 1889, where, according to Sirota, it had an intense effect on composers like Claude Debussy, Erik Satie, and later American composers like John Cage and later American Minimalists. This track is in fact a transcription of Balinese gamelan music, which is played on an instrument called a gamelan, done for two pianists by Colin McPhee and British composer Benjamin Britten.

McPhee had become enamored with the music after hearing it in New York City and moved to Bali to study it further before moving back to the US, where he lived with Britten briefly and introduced him to the Balinese tradition which had so enthralled him. Evidently Britten shared his enthusiasm, and the two recorded these transcriptions. Traditionally gamelan is performed by a group on a series of percussive xylophone- and gong-like instruments with many performers playing together (check out this video) while smaller motifs are mixed in throughout. Though it would appear to be improvised, the tunes were passed down in oral form in a precise manner. It continues to be performed in Indonesia today, and each island in the country has different forms of gamelan.