Manuel Göttsching - E2-E4 (1984)

Couldn't not post this at some point, despite having always thought it was too obvious a choice - it's just too good.  Around this time of year, when I start getting out and about more, nothing makes an hour's walk go by more beautifully than two Prophet 10 chords, a couple of Minimoogs, an ARP Odyssey and EMS, EKO etc and one hell of a (24-minute) guitar solo.  All in the hands of Ash Ra Tempel/Ashra's Manuel Göttsching, who came off a tour in December 1981 and casually flipped the switches on his home setup to record for an hour, with only the intention to make something for his own listening whilst traveling on future tours.

The track was eventually released on one of Klaus Schulze's labels in 1984, flipping the carefully-mastered 58-minute LP just as Göttsching picks up his guitar.  To even have to flip E2-E4 once is enough to break the spell unfortunately, and it would have to wait for its first CD pressing six years later to be presented in the uninterrupted digital format in belongs in.  In the meantime, E2-E4's influence had already begun to spread, notably in the dance track Sueño Latino, and shortly afterwards in mixes by Carl Craig and by Basic Channel.  Its afterlife as a proto-techno milestone was assured.

The original track, however, remains as fresh and immediate today as the moment it was recorded.  Much of that is due to the informal, single-pass recording session, especially in the guitar part: for me, the occasional untidy note and the moments where you can hear Göttsching pulling back and riffing for a bit while he plans his next move (in keeping with the chess theme, I suppose) are part of the charm - if he'd gone back and overdubbed a single note, it would've lost something.  The purely electronic half is a thing of wonder too, with all the minute-by-minute developments skillfully leading up to the glorious stretch from the 24th minute to the 30th.  If my Favourite Albums Of All Time had a sub-section where their desert-island status is absolutely impossible to top, only really E2-E4, Köln and Jobim's Wave make the cut.

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Katrina Krimsky - Four Moons (1992)

If you enjoyed Terry Riley's A Rainbow In Curved Air courtesy of that live version the other week, good news: here's another one.  This time it's not played by Riley himself, but by pianist/composer Katrina Krimsky (b. 1938), until now only known on this blog for being one of that fascinating, select group of musicians who make a single appearance on ECM then seemingly fade back into obscurity - check the gorgeous Stella Malu if you haven't already.

Krimsky's arrangement of ARICA starts out with gently rippling piano, before gradually being joined by flute, sitar and tabla.  Her group of musicians on this beautiful rendition of Riley includes one Krishna Bhatt, who we'll be hearing more from in a week or so.  Some vibes join the mix for the closing minutes when the ARICA arrangement revs up closest to its originator's version, sounding interestingly close to 80s Steve Reich.

The other two pieces on this album are Krimsky originals, with the 20-minute title piece up next.  The same basic palette of flute and tuned percussion colour the impressionistic piece, its four sections dedicated to the main four moons of Jupiter.  The addition of the gentle, unobtrusive sitar makes me think of Popol Vuh at times, or Jan Garbarek & co circa Song For Everyone once the percussion kicks in.  Every twist and turn in the arrangement adds fresh beauty to the piece, making me wish there were more CDs available of Krimsky's compositions, as does the third piece, Elise's Dream.  As hinted in the title, it's based on variations of the opening line of Beethoven's Für Elise.  Seriously, can't recommend this whole album highly enough.

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Iannis Xenakis - Phlegra, Jalons, Kern, Nomos Alpha, Thalleïn (rec. 1990/1, rel. 1992)

A great Xenakis disc from the early 90s, focusing on recent commissions taken on by the composer at a time when his music wasn't quite as earth-shattering as it had been earlier on, but could still bend 20th century classical music into extraordinary shapes.  The first piece here is one of the older two on the collection, Phlegra for chamber orchestra (1976), with plenty of ominous drones and great abraisive writing that was Xenakis' envisioning of "a battleground between the Titans and the new gods of Mount Olympus".  Following that is the slippery, trippy drift and skronk of Jalons for orchestra (1986), dedicated to Pierre Boulez, who conducts here.

Two solo pieces are up next.  Keren (1986), Hebrew for 'horn', was written for trombonist Benny Sluchin, who performs it here, taking the instrument from mellifluous solemnity to almost jazzy sounds, low drones and everywhere in between in under seven minutes.  The oldest piece on the collection, Nomos Alpha (1965) was originally written for the great cellist Siegfied Palm, and is briskly performed (about three minutes shorter than the original, IIRC) by Pierre Strauch.  For the geometrists out there, it's based on the "24-element octahedral group isomorphic to the rotations of a cube"; for anyone who just likes hearing a cello sound like it's being played by a virtuoso octopus, it's a blast.  We end with another chamber piece, Thallein (1984), for fourteen instruments including piano and percussion, written in complex polyphonic layers that still sound like music from the future.

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Previously posted at SGTG:
Oresteïa
Synaphaï
Persephassa
Ata, Jonchaies etc
Pléiades/Psappha
Bohor etc
Kraanerg
Terretektorh/Nomos Gamma
La Légende D'Eer
Persepolis

Thelonious Monk - Underground (1968)

Just had a good dig into Thelonious Monk's Columbia output for the first time in ages, and this is the one I always end up with on repeat for days.  Arguably his last great album, recorded in late '67 and early '68, Monk the composer was significantly revived here; as much as he's endlessly enjoyable casting a fresh light on his familiar tunes, the extra new material on Underground makes it all the more enjoyable.  The infamous album cover dials up the 'jazz iconoclast' image to eleven, with Monk imagining himself as a French Resistance fighter capturing a Nazi bunker.  As you do.

The Columbia quartet of Monk, Rouse, Riley and Gales are here for the last time and in fine form, although half the album is effectively a trio date, with Charlie Rouse away at his father's funeral.  The extended versions of most of these tracks on CD reissues let the great group swing and shine all the more, especially on the gorgeous Green Chimneys.  If there's one thing I love about Monk's records, it's the sense of space, and there's plenty of that here too in his unique, classic style.  Furthering the standout status of Underground in Monk's catalogue are his only waltz tune, Ugly Beauty, and a closing guest turn for jazz vocalist Jon Hendricks on In Walked Bud.

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Roman Maciejewski - Requiem Missa Pro Defunctis (rec. 1989)

Roman Maciejewski (1910-1998), although born in Berlin and resident for much of his later life in Sweden, was a lesser-known Polish composer.  So in an attempt to make him a little less lesser-known over this Easter weekend, here's his most major work, a post-war requiem mass.  The album cover, only used for this original double-CD edition, is fitting: it's that famously haunting image of the shelling of the Prudential building during the Warsaw Uprising, August 1944.

The second world war added a graveness to Maciejewski's character and outlook, leading to solemn and dignified music like this.  The Requiem was worked on from 1945 and finally finished in 1959, by which time it could be seen as a precedent to some of Arvo Pärt's later choral/orchestral work.  There's a lot of ostinato repetition that gives the work a gently melancholic, meditative and hypnotic effect, especially in its early sections.  This can then feel a little overpowered by the sheer size (it's longer than everything else) and weightiness of the Dies Irae section that Maciejewski ends with, but there's a nice Stravinsky influence here and there, and it's work sticking with to appreciate its power.

Disc 1 link
Disc 2 link
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Keith Jarrett - Invocations / The Moth And The Flame (1981)

Two completely distinct albums in one package from Keith Jarrett today, with the first disc being a November 1980 recording and the second from a year earlier.  On the seven-part Invocations, Jarrett takes the droning pipe organ sound of Hymns/Spheres and refines it, also adding saxophone.  In fact, the first part is a saxophone solo (as is the finale), before the organ is introduced in the second, playing in Riley-esque arpeggios that gradually slow and become more indistinct.

The two instruments are first heard together, in overdub, on part four.  ECM record buyers had been given this combination not long before, in Jan Garbarek/Kjell Johnsen's Aftenland (wonder if it was an influence on Jarrett here?), but the sound of Invocations is both heavier and warmer - although to be honest, achieving a warmer sax sound than Garbarek isn't that hard...

The Moth And The Flame brings Jarrett back on to home turf, with 40 minutes of piano improvisations in five sections.  The gently rippling first section gives way to a meditative second, and so on with Jarrett running through the expected modes of expression on piano that he could produce in his sleep by this point.  In short, there's nothing stunning or outstanding here if you're familiar with the Jarrett essentials, but neither is it forgettable.  And paired with one of his most experimental records, The Moth And The Flame acts as a very nice palate cleanser.

Disc 1 link
Disc 2 link
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Ostad Elahi - Cascade - L'Art Du Luth Oriental Tanbur (rec. circa 1970, rel. 2002)

A unique synthesis of Persian and Kurdish musical traditions, from judge, metaphysical philosopher and musician Nur Ali Elahi (1895-1974; the 'Ostad' is honorific, like the 'Pandit' in Pran Nath).  Even the instrument this suite of pieces (with no track divisions) is played on is a synthesis of the two traditions, a five-string tanbur lute of Elahi's own design.

Ostad Elahi made a number of recordings in Iran towards the end of his life.  These lo-fi, mono tapes from informal gatherings (Elahi eschewed both live performance and studio recording) were gradually remastered and released on Le Chant Du Monde from the 90s onwards.  This one that I've found is a run through 20 pieces in tuning and tonal colours characteristic of the music of Qatar, hence the track title "Qatar Suite".

Like all of Elahi's music, its intended purpose is as contemplative, devotional music, and this combined with his mastery of his instrument far transcends the limitations of the recording quality.  Individual tracks might help make the Qatar Suite more accessible, but if intended as a suite it may as well be listened to as such, and I get more out of it with every listen.  Like any non-Western music, I enjoy stuff like this because it re-tunes my brain from what its used to hearing, and it's a journey well worth taking with something as transcendent as Elahi's musical talent.

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Terry Riley - Rainbow In Cologne (rec. 1971, rel. 2016)

Mentioned this archive release way back when posting Descending Moonshine Dervishes, so it's long overdue a post of its own.  Rainbow In Cologne presents just under two hours of Terry Riley performing on "church organ" (more likely modified electric organ on Disc 1), venue(s) unspecified, recorded some time in 1971, presumably for WDR or suchlike - yep, it's one of those archive releases that raises more questions than it answers!  Whatever the recording details were, Riley's delay system is very much in evidence to create long drones and loops over which he could improvise further in these long, hypnotic raga-like compositions.

This recording surfaced three years ago on a slightly dubious label, and I suspect it's out of print now - prices have jumped right up of late.  Despite some mastering issues (i.e. glitching on Disc 1 that the label tried to explain away as part of the original recording), it's nice to have something like this available, and hear Terry Riley in a raw live recording from this early in his career.

First up is the slow to catch fire, minor-key Journey From The Death Of A Friend, which would be released the following year on a French soundtrack LP.  After 37 minutes, the continuous performance segues into Riley's breakthrough composition A Rainbow In Curved Air.  Even with the lower fidelity, this and Disc 2's run through Persian Surgery Dervishes still make for stunning listening when those flurries of organ notes take flight.

Disc 1 link
Disc 2 link
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Robert Hood - Internal Empire (1994)

Classic minimal techno from one of the original Detroit masters.  Got hold of this one when I felt I was concentrating too much on Perlon-style minimalism and could do with an object lesson from the old school; this is minimal techno where although very little happens (subtle developments still always there for the discovery), it's melodic and full of machine soul.

All of the 11 tracks on this CD edition (the original 2x 12" had seven tracks in a different order, one of which is missing here) get straight to the point, and only average about five minutes apiece.  This self-contained approach, without segues, lets each track stand on its own merits - and they certainly do just that.  Home and Chase are my absolute favourites here, but more emerges from the others with every listen.

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Carla Bley - Fleur Carnivore (1989)

"The Big Carla Bley Band" were captured here during three nights in Copenhagen, November 1988, and writing, arrangement and spirited performances were top-flight as always.  The achingly soulful title track that kicks off proceedings was a commission to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Duke Ellington's passing, and The Eternal Waiting Of Canute transports the Norse/English king to more gently lilting Latin shores than the title might suggest.

Another highlight is the 17-minute, three-part suite The Girl Who Cried Champagne.  IIRC (from an interview following a trio remake about six years ago), Steve Swallow would present Bley with a bottle of fizz whenever she finished a composition, and fancying a drink, she lied about this one being complete before it was.  Anyway, this whole set is champagne-worthy, and well worthy of its general recognition as one of Bley's very best releases.

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Previously posted at SGTG: Appearing Nightly

Coil - ...And The Ambulance Died In His Arms (rec. 2003, rel. 2005)

Sixteen years ago today, Coil were recovering from one of their most remarkable live shows.  Intending to do "a quiet set today... we've had too much... shouting over the last year", the eerie, hushed ambience conjured up by John, Sleazy, Thighpaulsandra and vibraphonist Tom Edwards was highly improvisational and seemed to emanate from another plane of consciousness.  At its centre was a recounting of Balance's experience of being robbed of his notebook of lyrics on Marylebone Road whilst high on rohypnol.  Elsewhere, even familiar material like Triple Sun and The Dreamer Is Still Asleep was radically transformed, both musically and lyrically.  If I had a time machine that would take me to just one gig, this contribution to the Autechre-curated All Tomorrow's Parties would be the one.  It's certainly the greatest live album I've ever known.

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Previously posted at SGTG:
Astral Disaster
Musick To Play In The Dark

George Crumb - Songs, Drones, And Refrains Of Death / Quest (rec. 2004, rel. 2006)

This was originally planned as Monday's post - now it follows Scott Walker quite well.  Wonder if Crumb was an influence on his late career?  The unsettling structure of the main work here, composed from 1962-68, seemingly chaotic but meticulously planned, with both eerie and violent dynamics, definitely makes it an interesting comparison. 

Adopting words from Federico Garcia Lorca, as on 1969's Night Of The Four Moons, each 'song' is indeed preceded by a refrain and then incorporates a 'death drone'.  The instrumentation of electric guitar, amplified bass/piano/harpsichord and percussion is used sparingly, almost minimalistically, for maximum effect.

The other work on this fine recording from 2004 is a rendition of Quest (1994) for percussion, harp, bass, saxophone and guitar.  Again, Crumb writes with disquieting restraint, as the various instruments and melodic fragments (including bits of 'Amazing Grace') waft in and out of the ghostly silence.  A live recording of Quest was previously posted here.

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Scott Walker + Sunn O))) - Soused (2014)

A proper tribute today to the gargantuan, sui generis genius of Scott Walker, who sadly left us last week.  Four and a half years ago, whilst reveling in this latest installment of one of music's greatest and weirdest late-career renaissances, I remember wondering if, and hoping, that he'd have at least one more album this phenomenal in him.  Wondering now, after some interesting soundtrack work but no further album, if he was working on anything more, and if it'll see the light of day.

If not, then Soused will stand as one hell of a final chapter in a solo career of two wonderful phases: first, four albums of exquisite, highly literate chamber-pop that got more perfect with each volume.  Then second, a leap into the otherwordly unknown that took a first step on Nite Flights, another tentative one on Climate Of Hunter, then four giant steps that none of his peers, not even Bowie, came close to in their avant-garde immersion.  As much as Bowie left us on a fresh, experimental high, can you imagine him working with Seattle's dark lords of drone metal?

Sunn O))) somehow seemed a perfect fit for Walker, particularly after The Drift, and Soused is a quintessential example of two unique acts coming up with a synergistic collaboration where neither sacrifices any of their identity.  The stunning opener Brando makes this clear right away, as Walker's crooning of BDSM desire (seen through the prism of movies where the title actor gets beaten up) and attendant whip-cracks float over a river of molten drone lava.

Elsewhere, Scott's latter-day lyrical obsessions of human atrocity, disease and decay continue to ensure that the darkness in the scattered fragmentary words matched that of the music.  The human cost of oppression is laid bare in the plaintive "She's hidden her babies away"'s throughout Herod 2014, and the much more surreal Bull was described as "a crusade against existence itself" by Walker.  The grotesques of Bish Bosch continue in Fetish, but the finale of Lullaby proves a stunning finish.  The song, obliquely about assisted dying, was originally recorded by Ute Lemper and released on the Japanese version of her 2000 album.  It loses none of its power on Walker's own version with Sunn O))), and serves as a truly memorable closer to the final album of his lifetime.

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Previously posted at SGTG: Tilt