i got 4.1 or whatever it is of the anthologies of his early stuff and it was fantastic. there has been no new noise -- henry is a master.
― jack cole (jackcole), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 23:19 (twenty-one years ago)
The first thing to hear is "Variations for a Door and Sigh". (1963)
The second thing to hear is "Fragments for Artaud". (1970)
They are Big Fat Masterpieces of musique concrete.
Then you can branch out from there. "Prisme" (1973) is pretty great. Some of the early pieces like "Microphone bien temperé" (1950-52) and "Spirale" (1955). If you find a copy of "Le Voyage", that is awesome, as is "Mouvement-Rhythme-Etude". The only CD of his that did nothing for me is "La Ville. Die Stadt", I dunno, it just kind of didn't work.
And do check out the record with Spooky Tooth, it is a retarded blues rock rendition of the Catholic Mass with vocal cut ups dumped on top and it's mixed really, really strangely.
― Drew Daniel (Drew Daniel), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 05:39 (twenty-one years ago)
it's funny!
"Variations for a Door and Sigh" distills the concept, an entire 45 minute piece made from three simple sounds... it's not my favorite piece for repeat listening, but the idea is so overpoweringly strong that it kind of sets your imagination on fire, it's one of the building blocks. plus it's _really_ funny.
For listening I really like the 2 CD compilation "Les Annees Cinquante"; his early 50's pieces are all short experiments, tons of ideas. disc 1 are the technical breakthroughs, disc 2 goes for the drony gold.
2nding Drew's call on "Artaud" -- "Le Voyage" is all made from manipulated feedback sounds, skittery & pure. "Mise en musique du corticalart" is an all electronic piece, oscillator loops drilling & building.
My favorite later piece is "Pierres Reflechies", monster drone made from shifting organ textures, wish it went on forever. "La Ville. Die Stadt" is a bit blah, but there's a fun bit with video game soundeffects but that's about it.
I like Henry & Schaeffer but I think the genre only went into overdrive when Parmegiani, Ferrari & Bayle got going, formal experiments & manifestos all already written & taken for granted, getting down to the business of making actual pure music with the new rules
― milton parker (Jon L), Friday, 3 June 2005 19:19 (twenty-one years ago)
five years pass...
Discovered today that if you play "Variations for a Door and Sigh" over any song you hate it instantly becomes much much better.
― Fetchboy, Thursday, 17 February 2011 21:51 (fifteen years ago)
The song you hate becomes better, that is.
― Fetchboy, Thursday, 17 February 2011 21:52 (fifteen years ago)
Black Eyed Peas + Tod Dockstader - The Time (Dirty Bit) + Fourth Telemetry Tape
http://www.sendspace.com/file/h6291c
― Milton Parker, Friday, 18 February 2011 00:00 (fifteen years ago)
keep misreading this thread title as 'meerkat news network'
― not everything is a campfire (ian), Friday, 18 February 2011 03:05 (fifteen years ago)