Episode 8

 

This episode: Synthetic Environments

 

Recordings of contemplative imaginary spaces.

 

Playlist

The Rainy Season, (1952), excerpt. Edited by Moses Asch. From the album Sounds of a Tropical Rain Forest in America(Folkways Records, US). Edited field recordings.

Im Westen Nicht Neues Side A (2013). By Ian Anüll / Luigi Archetti / Lux Lindner (Ultimate Records, Switzerland). Excerpt. Edited field recordings, crickets.

Im Westen Nicht Neues Side B (2013). By Ian Anüll / Luigi Archetti / Lux Lindner (Ultimate Records, Switzerland). Excerpt. Studio recording, electronic.

The Sea (1975) by Brad Miller. From the album Nature’s Mystic Moods: The Sounds of the Storm and the Sea (Bainbridge Records, US). Excerpt. Edited field recordings.

Fish Wrap (1989) by Bernie Krause. From the EP Jungle Shoes (Ryko Analogue, US). Edited field recordings of animals and their environment.

World Rhythms (1975) by Annea Lockwood. From the album New Music for Electronic and Recorded Media (1750 Arch Records, US). Edited field recordings and gong.

Tintinnabulation (contemplative sound) (1970) by Syntonic Research, From the album Environments 2 (Atlantic Records, US). Computer synthesized sound played at 45 RPM.

Sonic Landscapes No. 3 (1977 revision) by Barry Truax. From the album Sonic Landscapes: Electronic and Computer Music(Melbourne Records, Canada). Excerpt. “A spatial environment for four computer synthesized soundtracks.”

Back Porch (2020) by Christina Vantzou. From the album Multi Natural (Edições CN, Belgium). Ambient and electronic music with instrumentalists.

 

The Archive Mix, in which I play two additional tracks at the same time to see what happens, included the following:

Appalachian Grove I (1974) by Laurie Spiegel. From the album New Music for Electronic and Recorded Media (1750 Arch Records, US). Computer synthesized sound.

Jungle Shoes (original edit) (1989) by Bernie Krause. From the EP Jungle Shoes (Ryko Analogue, US). Edited field recordings of animals and their environment.

 

Read my book: Electronic and Experimental Music (sixth edition), by Thom Holmes (2020).

 

Also of interest: Richard Carlin, Worlds of Sound: The Story of Smithsonian Folkways (2008).