Automatic Writing
A 1996 CD compiling three early Ashley works from the years 1967-79 -- some of his most experimental and out-there works. A classic electronic music collection and an ideal intro into the somewhat foreboding oeuvre of Robert Ashley's recorded works. The title piece is a 46-minute classic from 1979, which rather famously formed the basis for Nurse With Wound's A Missing Sense. Steven Stapleton's commentary upon this summarizes the intense vibe of this recording: "A Missing Sense was originally co…
Berlin Super 80
A DVD-flashback of early 80s Berlin subculture featuring output by virtuosos of the city’s underground movie scene who rediscovered Super 8 as an adequate outlet for their creative endeavours. Accompanied by a compilation of music, covering a huge range of styles and currents - from punk to ingenious dilettantes, this lavish package recalls the walled in city’s unique feel and lifestyle. By no means a nostalgic review of times long gone, but rather an appraisal (with no claim to completeness) …
Depli
It's probably safe to call Mr. Andre Almuro an unsung hero. And while his scantly available catalog certainly provides reason why, its contents offer ample argument to the contrary. Not long after the conclusion of his apprenticeship to Pierre Schaeffer, he began crafting in what could easily be called the Almuro aesthetic: sparce pieces built from limited sound elements, often timbrally altered percussive sounds, slowly paced and coated thick in reverb and tape echo.While Dépli does not quite m…
Early Minimalism vol. 1
Four CD box set with 96-page book and enhanced CD-ROM featuring interviews, performance footage and video scores. Includes the massive "Four Violins" (1964) -- one of the world's most important and space-inhaling pieces of music ever, which was only briefly available on LP. Mainline it as loud as you possibly can. Plus: "Early Minimalism: April, 1965" (for solo violin and string quartet) ; "Early Minimalism: May 1965" [performed here by Conrad, Alexandria Gelencser (cello) and Jim O'Rour…