Reissues
La creation du monde (1982-84)
This is a sprawling, ambitious painting in sound modeled on the birth of the universe. Moving from roiling, gaseous clouds of hiss and static through sharp peels of detailed, unrestrained texture, this is acousmatic music at its very finest, literally creating a universe of sound out of thin air. (AMG)
De natura sonorum
Classic 1975 recording of mostly quiet, resonating electronic sounds. "With the music of Bernard Parmegiani something in us is freed and comes out of passivity. This thing, which I know now was blocked without my knowing where, is the buzzing and Time within the flesh -- a humming of millions of closed mouths between the cells. What is the murmur made up of? The body develops a tongue in listening to this music, and there is within it great movement of the sound material... it is music that make…
Sonare
One 25 minute piece, from 1996. A State/CIRM commissioned work. A dreamy five-movement suite that deals with the encounter and metamorphosis of natural sounds and synthetic sounds. Bernard Parmegiani wrote about this piece "There is already music... of an Italian an character in this title! Sonare: l love this word because it is Italian and because upon hearing it, music simply springs forth from within it. For each of the 5 movements, I have chosen a pseudo-instrumental or synthesis sound whic…
Plain-temps
2006 release, presenting 3 versions of "Plain-Temps". Classic new work from the most important INA GRM composer. The first part of the suite, "Le Present Compose" is from 1991, recorded here in 2006. "The second part is "Entre-Temps" from 1992. "The gradual slowing down of the tick-tock sound of a penduluum with which the this piece opens provides us with not only the most symbolic but also the most illusory image of the passing of time. This is followed by by a constantly changing continuum, ap…
L'oeil Ecoute
An awesome Parmegiani release, featuring: "L'oeil Ecoute" (1970), "La Roue Ferris" (1971), "Especes d'espace" (2002-2003). "Excepting some mixed pieces, his work as a whole takes the form of music for 'fixed sound', coming within the scope of the immense repertoire of electro-acoustic music. In 1971, he made a video film based on the music in 'L'Oeil ecoute', featuring visual imagery processed through a synthesiser. We only need listen to the opening of 'L'Oeil ecoute', a sustained swirl and flu…
La memoire des Sons
Features 3 works: "Capture Éphémère" (1967); "Sons-jeu" (1987); "La Mémoire des Sons" (2001). "Excepting some rare mixed pieces, Bernard Paremegiani's works as a whole take the form of music for 'fixedsounds', coming within the scope of the immense repertoire of electro-acoustic music. From his training in the art of mime and his experience as a sound engineer, Parmegiani has retained a taste for a hand-to-hand approach (sound/embodiment, as we could be tempted to say) with various sound mate-ri…
Violostries
Finally reissued, with new artwork; this has been the most in-demand electroacoustic CD for the past few years. Bernard Parmegiani is one the electroacoustic superstars of the INA GRM universe, and along with various Francois Bayle titles this is a great place to start with the label. This amazing double CD is broken up into 2 parts: the first disc consists of old-style tape-splicing electroacoustic material, dating from 1963 to 1976 ("Violostries," "Pour en Finir avec le Pourvoir d'Orphee" & "D…
JazzEx
This album is a collection of early works from the late 60’s by the french electro-acoustic composer Bernard Parmegiani. Born in Paris (1927) and rich of a “catalogue des oeuvres” of more than 60 pieces, including classics such as “Violistries” 1965, “La Roue Ferris” 1971, “Pour en finir avec le pouvoir d’Orphée” 1971/72, “De Natura Sonorum” 1974/75, the 4 pieces presented in this edition is a perfect exemple for discovering the unusual territories and the eclectism language of the composer: “Ja…
50/70
50/70 presents a set of fantastically stirring performances by sound-poet and heroic cultural activist Bernard Heidsieck. Fantastic verbal anarchy sure to appeal to anyone who has ever ventured deep into the margins of free-thinking labels like ESP, United Dairies, Come Org. Features '”Poème-Partition ‘B’”' (1957), for Bernard de Pontcharra, killed in Algeria; “Poème-Partition ‘M’”, suggested by a comment made by Henry Miller about “Déserts” by Edgar Varèse; “Démocratie II” (1977) and “Publicité…
Canal street
reissue of the self-released 3lp box set from 1976... as two cds nestled inside the covers of a regular-sized paperback book... considerably less expensive than the original (which sonic tiger still has for $300 if you’re interested...).this and the other book/cd editions from al dante are among the most legendary artifacts from the canon of this pioneering french sound-poet (see other editions of alga marghen), who, along with arch nemesis henri chopin, laid out the groundwork for text-based so…
Couper n’est pas jouer
the third title in the heidsieck “singles” series, released in april 2005 & consisting of a single piece from 1967/1968. of the three “singles” mixing found-sound-effects against a high edit-per-second ratio of heidseick’s ululations...a part impossible to circumvent of bernard heidsieck in a book which in offer also lcoute via cd. uvre proclamation made up in 1968, couper is not to play proposed the theoretical bases and the practical application of writings of assembly using the practices dins…
Démocratie II
second installment of the “singles” series - a 36-page cd-sized book with a cd tucked into the back-cover... both book/cd contain heidsieck’s “democratie ii” (passe-partout nº27) from 1977-1978.
Derviche / Le Robert
Majestic triple-disc and book from mssr. heidsieck containing a 3+ hour piece from 1978 - the third and final installment in the regular-sized book/cd trilogy of heidsieck’s 70s work (along with “le carrefour” and “canal street.”) again: essential listening for the student of outsider yalp...
Lettre à Brion Gysin
zonked 1974 recording of an extended “sound-letter to brion gysin” by pioneering sound-poet Bernard Heidsieck, here aided on voice by françoise janicot, laurence lacina, ricky stein, and recently unearthed musician ariel kalma (via beta-lactam ring’s reissue of his “osmose” lp) on saxophone.The levels of insanity get pretty damn high on this one (listen to the sound sample!) with un-related sound-events firing off in each of the stereo channels for the duration. Parts echo the spiritual highs of…
A Fluxus Elegy
One-sided LP in an edition of 345 copies. "The new Ben Patterson piece, issued on Alga Marghen's VocSon series, is based on the basic principles of the polyphonic music of the Bantu tribes of West and Central Africa. First principle: the practice of interlocking individual pitches or tones performed by one person into spaces between other pitches or tones performed by another person, thus alternating pitches or tones of one part with those of another part to create a whole. Second principle: use…
Early Works
2002 release. Alga Marghen proudly presents the first record ever produced by Ben Patterson: "This is not only my first CD, but also the first recordings of these works available to the general public." Starting as a virtuoso double-bass performer of classical music, Ben Patterson was one of the very first founders of the Fluxus Group in Wiesban. This digipak CD will introduce you to some American neo-avant garde music classics, a crossover between John Cage's exploding influences and the experi…
Liverpool soundworks vol.2
"'Surveying Western Philosophy using China Tools' (33'45"): Western philosophy is thought to have begun along the Ionian coast of Asia Minor in the sixth century B.C. Chinese astrology is thought to have begun in China in the thirtieth century B.C. Would a survey using the tools of an ancient Chinese imperial science give us new and fresh reading of Western philosophy? The year in which a person was born is of singular importance in Chinese astrology as each year is governed by an animal sign. I…
Liverpool soundworks vol.1
2 limited edition CDs on Fluxus artist Ben Patterson's own label, distributed by Alga Marghen. "'The Liverpool Song Lines' (22'57"): for many year Ben Patterson has been fascinated by the so-called 'song lines' of the Australian Aborigine. Musically, these songs for solo voice, sometimes accompanied by 'beating-sticks,' are not especially stirring for Western ears. Rather, for the artist, it is the concept underlying the text which is remarkable. These songs describe flora, fauna and places whic…
Reelizations one & two the sound of Barton Smith
Double CD reissue of two albums, originally released on Folkways in 1980 and 1982, recorded in the early to late seventies. All pieces composed for various dance groups, using guitars, keyboards, self-made instuments, synthesizers, and tape manipulation.” CD 1 : “REELIZATIONS I” (1980). Akimbo. Scene four. TS Danza. Prelude in g # major. Roland No.119. Azirthmyth. Perihehlion. Biease. Feast. Pleasure guitar. The tube. CD 2 : “REELIZATIONS 2” (1982). Cit-calm. Gate of shariz. Magnus continuum. Th…