Somei Satoh: Toward The Night

 
1 Ruika (1990) for cello and string ensemble
2 Toward The Night (1991) for string ensemble
3 Homa (1988) for soprano and string ensemble




Somei Satoh in his own words, from the New Albion website:

In Buddhism there is the idea of Samsara (transmigration). It is believed that man infinitely repeats life and death toward the next life. Mankind is also thought to repeat its fall and rebirth. After millions of years, the existence of mankind is beginning to sink into the deep dusk. As an ancient Chinese saint once said, "If I don't obtain enlightenment now, in which life should I be able to get it?" I find myself constantly returning to his words. "Toward the Night" is the tone of the dusk which resonates in my mind.

"Ruika" [an ancient Japanese expression] is an anthem to mourn the soul of the departed. Within this music we hear the wind from the world of spirit - it intrinsically emanates an odor of death. In listening, we immerse ourselves in the vibration of voices coming from the abode of departed souls, from a vacancy of sound, and we sense the waves of a glimmer appearing at the margin of sound.


"Homa" [Sanskrit] is a sacred fire, a fire of purgation, a sacrificial fire offering to celestial gods. In the summer of 1988 my grandmother passed away at the age of 90. I wrote this music as a prayer for the peace of her pure spirit in the firmament. This music is chanted as a mantra.

Om mani padme hum.Om sarva-tathagata-pada-vandanam karomi.Om svabhave-suddhah sarva-dharmah-suddho ham.Om, jewel in the lotus!Om, I believe in and worship Buddha, past, present and future!Om, this eternal universe is the uterus of God and all the emerging events here are intrinsically pure and innocent. Thus I myself am also pure by nature.

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Environments Disc 5

Syntonic Research Inc. - Environments Disc 5

From the liner notes:

ULTIMATE HEARTBEAT (NOTE: This recording is playable at both 45 & 33 1/3 rpm.)

Several years ago, SR commenced research on a rather unusual aspect of bionic technology. Our idea was elegant in its simplicity yet extraordinarily difficult to produce; a psychologically-based sound environment which would greatly extend and intensify the physical act of making love.

After a great deal of analysis, we feel that we have produced a truly unique concept completely effective for the purpose intended. The cardiac rhythm is tuned to universal subconscious and autonomic responses to produce amazing yet esthetic results when used for its primary purposes; lovemaking and meditation.

Both subtle and easy to use, the effect is most effective at very low volume settings and can be used with almost any phonograph. Unlike music or less effective recordings, the sound field is only there when needed and virtually disappears when ignored.

Many participants of our listening tests reported that they were easily able to sustain and enjoy this unusual experience for the full duration of the recording; In addition, parents of new-born infants often reported that the sound calmed their child's sleep, when played softly near the crib.

This recording is playable at both 45 and 33 rpm, in full stereo/matrix quadraphonic. It is suggested that initial playback be accomplished at 45 rpm for lovemaking purposes. As you become accustomed to the record's characteristics, you may wish to lower the speed to 33 1/3 rpm. Please remember that at 33 1/3 rpm, the low frequency sounds on this disc are at the lower threshold of hearing and require a large amount of amplification to become audible. IT IS NOT NECESSARY NOR IS IT ADVISABLE TO PLAY THIS RECORD LOUDLY. Best results are obtained at low volume settings in a quiet room. If the recording is not audible at normal volume settings, your speakers may not be able to reproduce this sound, although almost all high-fidelity speakers should be able to produce a satisfactory result.

WIND IN THE TREES

One of the most beautiful sounds in nature is that of a soft breeze gently rustling the leaves of a grove of trees on a golden autumn day.

Add the subtle reality of a few songbirds, distant cows, insects, a random crow, a far hound, and an attentive magpie, and the effect is that of an instant vacation.

To experience the superb realism and pastoral beauty of this disc is to be there, amidst the crunching leaves, lost in nature's splendor.

Wind in the trees is undeniably one of the most difficult natural sounds to reproduce accurately. Through the use of special binaural microphone techniques and matrix channel phasing, we have achieved an effect of acoustically transparent "windows" which produce myriad planes of depth, movement, and dimension impossible to describe. To watch a person's expression as he silently listens on stereo earphones is to fully realize the potential of this superb sound.

As with many of our other Environments releases, Wind in the Trees, at very low volume, is very effective in neutralizing most disturbing noises found in the home, and, as such, can be quite useful in aiding many activities which require isolation, such as reading, sleeping, concentrating, and meditating.

Tracklisting:

SIDE ONE

1. Ultimate Heartbeat [33 1/3 RPM] {21:35}

1a. Ultimate Heartbeat [45 RPM] {16:10}

SIDE TWO

1. Wind in the Trees {33:45}

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Music Now!

various artists compilation - Music Now!

From the liner notes:

"Music Now!" presents five recent compositions by faculty composers of the College-Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati; though only slightly disparate in style, each composer leaves his own indelible mark - his own imprint - on the music. The four composers refuse to be classified, since the terms "avant-garde," "conservative," "arch-conservative,""left-of-center," and the like have meaning to very few. There are certain musical aims common to the four composers which may be quickly and easily summarized: They all attempt to communicate to others, not just to themselves; they attempt to be expressive, not remote; they disdain effects merely for the sake of effects and rather than offering boredom through longevity and obviousness, they believe in subtlety of form and shape - and in brief understatement.

released in 1974

Performers:

Morphosis by Paul Palombo:
Paul Palombo - electronics

Variants II by Paul Cooper:
Peter Mark - viola
Thea Musgrave - piano

A Game of Circles by Scott Huston:
Floyd Williams - clarinet
Donna Hallen - piano and celeste

String Quintet by Ellsworth Milburn:
Mary Findlay - violin
Benzion Dominitz - violin
Noah Sepsenwol - viola
David Mulliken - violoncello
Barry Green - string bass

Idioms by Scott Huston:
Benzion Dominitz - violin
Jean Lavoie - clarinet
Myra Beth Little - French horn


Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Paul Palombo - Morphosis {10:12}

2. Paul Cooper - Variants II {7:05}

3. Scott Huston - A Game of Circles {10:40}

Side 2

1. Ellsworth Milburn - String Quintet {13:47}

2. Scott Huston - Idioms {10:06}

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Wound-Up Opera Played by Rare Antique Music Boxes

Wound-Up Opera Played by Rare Antique Music Boxes

Before radio and playback devices such as CD players, portable MP3 players, and the phonograph were available, people had to attend live performances to listen to music. Not everyone had access to live musical performances, however, there was another way to listen to music. I believe that the earliest playback device available was the music box. The music box is a wind-up device that offered people the chance to listen to songs and excerpts from lengthy classical music pieces. The music box was limited as the sounds made by the music box consisted of only a few tones (but beautiful tones) and the music box usually had only one song or musical piece available. The sounds were made by a steel comb that struck the pins on the rolling cylinder underneath the steel comb. If someone wanted to hear the piano and violin for example, obviously someone would have to attend the live performance of those instruments being played.

After the phonograph became more widely available in the marketplace, the demand for music boxes dropped as they were no longer needed. Only a few people made music boxes anymore.

However, music boxes became collectible antique items which helped ensure the survival of music boxes. Ironically, the medium (the LP record) that contributed to the demise of music boxes is used for helping preserve the sounds of the music box by recording them and putting them on LP copies. In this case, this is a collection of excerpts from operas played on music boxes. The music from the music boxes usually lasted around a minute which is why there are a lot of tracks on this release.

The tracks below are listed as: the name of the composer in all caps, the name of the excerpted musical piece, the opera the musical piece is from and the name of the music box in parenthesis.

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. VERDI: La Donna e mobile, from RIGOLETTO (Bremond Bell) {0:40}

2. MOZART: Non più andrai, from THE MARRAIGE OF FIGARO (Regina) {1:08}

3. VERDI: Sempre libera, from LA TRAVIATA (Nicole Frères) {1:01}

4. WAGNER: Pilgrims' Chorus, from TANNHÄUSER (New Century) {1:17}

5. ROSSINI: Una voce poco fà, from THE BARBER OF SEVILLE (Malignon) {1:53}

6. VERDI: Anvil Chorus, from IL TROVATORE (Stella) {1:30}

7. ROSSINI: Ecco ridente, from THE BARBER OF SEVILLE (Ducommun Girod) {1:45}

8. VERDI: Parigi o cara, from LA TRAVIATA (Nicole Frères) {0:59}

9. THOMAS: Je suis Titania, from MIGNON (Baker sublime Harmonie Timbres) {0:49}

10. VERDI: Libiamo ne, from LA TRAVIATA VERDI (Nicole Frères) {0:50}

11. ROSSINI: Overture, from SEMIRAMIDE (Malignon) {2:16}

12. MEYERBEER: Ombre legère, from DINORAH (Nicole Frères) {0:54}

13. VERDI: Miserere, from IL TROVATORE (Regina) {1:05}

14. VERDI: Quartet, from RIGOLETTO (Plérodiennique) {2:43}

15. GOUNOD: Waltz, from FAUST (Stella) {1:04}

Side 2

1. BIZET: Toreador Song, from CARMEN (Mandoline Oiseau Chantant) {1:29}

2. MASCAGNI: Intermezzo, from CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA (Regina) {2:37}

3. VERDI: Di tale amor, from IL TROVATORE (Nicole Frères) {0:52}

4. WAGNER: March, from TANNHÄUSER (Regina) {2:37}

5. VERDI: Stride la vampa, from IL TROVATORE (Nicole Frères) {0:52}

6. ROSSINI: Overutre, from THE BARBER OF SEVILLE (Malignon) {1:57}

7. MOZART: Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen, from THE MAGIC FLUTE (Regina) {1:03}

8. GOUNOD: Soldiers' Chorus, from FAUST (Nicole Frères) {0:52}

9. ROSSINI: Belo si celebri, from SEMIRAMIDE (Malignon) {1:56}

10. VERDI: Dell'invito, from LA TRAVIATA (Nicole Frères) {0:58}

11. GOUNOD: Waltz, from ROMEO AND JULIET (Regina) {2:41}

12. ROSSINI: Overture, from WILLIAM TELL (Nicole Frères) {1:46}

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Environments Disc 6

Syntonic Research Inc. - Environments Disc 6

From the liner notes:

There is an enormous swamp between southeast Georgia and northern Florida which contains some of the most primitive jungle on the North American continent. The romance and mysterious charm of this world-famous area are legendary, yet few people have actually heard the full range of myriad sounds only to be found deep in the heart of this vast, largely undisturbed wilderness.
Within the swamp, where spanish moss adorns almost every tree with the surreal look of draped steel wool, traces of man are virtually nonexistent. Off in the foliage, the fauna of the Okefenokee are seldom seen but are everywhere to be heard; creatures ranging from grumbling alligators to vast choruses of insects, bullfrogs, and aquatic birds.
The melodic character of these sounds changes dramatically with the time of day and the seasons, and creates a unique orchestration of natural sound not to be found elsewhere on the American continent.
Impossible to imagine, these sounds are amazingly varied, from the steady drum of exotic insects to the strange call of cricket frogs, which sound as though someone were stroking the teeth of a steel comb.
The sounds of the Okefenokee are at their zenith early in the morning and late at night, when the cacophony of the swamp is almost deafening. Surprisingly, these sounds die down to a whisper at midday.
SR' quadraphonic recordings were taped in eight channel in exactly the same location approximately ten hours apart. Although the perimeter of the swamp is accessible, the location chosen for these recordings could only be reached by airboat. Once night fell, the area became totally inaccessible (or inescapable, as the case may be.)
The alligators occasionally heard in the front channels were approximately twenty to fifty feet from the microphones. Their eyes, which shone bright red in the light of our flashlights, were constantly upon us.
Okefenokee is presently a wildlife refuge administered by the US Department of the Interior and, as such, is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. However, the sounds SR has here recorded have only been heard by stout-hearted adventurers and trappers who have explored this inner sanctum at their own risk.
As an environmental sound reproduced in the home, the Okefenokee recordings are superb and ultra-realistic in a darkened room. At low volume settings, they can be repeated continuously to create a strange yet beautiful aural environment. At louder volume settings, the listener is treated to the full range and drama of these unique environmental sounds.
If you love the wild side of nature, you owe it to yourself to hear these recordings.

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Dawn in the Okefenokee Swamp {30:47}

Side 2

1. Dusk in the Okefenokee Swamp {32:16}

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Islands

Barry Truax - Islands

Some information about the tracks from the liner notes:

Pacific Fanfare (1996)

It is comprised of ten soundmarks recorded by the WSP (World Soundscape Project at Simon Fraser University) in the Vancouver area either from the early 1970s or more recently, and thus reflects the changing soundscape of the city. The various sound signals are heard both in their original state, and digitally resonated and time-stretched in order to let them "resonate" in our own memories.

Pendlerdrøm (1997) (or "Commuterdream")

...a soundscape composition that recreates a commuter's trip home from the Central Train Station in Copenhagen. At two points, one in the station and the other on the train, the commuter lapses into a daydream in which the sounds that were only half heard in the station return to reveal their musical qualities.

La Sera di Benevento (1999) (or "Afternoon in Benevento")

...a soundscape composition based on environmental sounds from the town of Benevento, Italy, situated near Napoli. In particular, I imagined a hot, drowsy afternoon where the sounds of cicadas, a fountain and the local churchbell lull the listener into a reverie where these sounds mingle with a half-remembered lyric poem by the 14th century poet Giovanni Boccaccio.

Dominion (1991) (accompanied by the Olympia Chamber Orchestra)

...may be called a meditation on the Canadian nation in that it involves the listener in an east-to-west journey across the country. In each region it is 12 noon, starting with the noon gun in St. John's harbour, Newfoundland, followed by various foghorns and other whistles. In the long second section depicting the vast expanse of central Canada and its founding Anglophone and Francophone cultures, the noon chimes and hour bell of the Peace Tower in Ottawa are played out in counterpoint against the bells of the Basilica in Quebec City. The ubiquitous E-flat minor triad of the CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway) train horn connects the various sections, just as the transcontinental railway was instrumental in unifying the country.

Island (2000)

...is a 16 track soundscape composition that blends acoustic environmental sounds with processed versions of the same sounds. The result is a visit to an imaginary island embued with magical realism, beginning at the shoreline, proceeding up a rapidly flowing stream, visiting a resonant cistern, climbing to the windy peak of a mountain lake, descending again through a nightime forest of crickets, and ending at a different shoreline.

Tracklisting:

1. Pacific Fanfare {3:05}

2. Pendlerdrøm {12:07}

3. La Sera di Benevento {10:08}

4. Dominion {18:46}

5. Island {19:01}

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Mongolia: Living Music of the Steppes

various artists compilation - Mongolia: Living Music of the Steppes

Mongolia: Living Music of the Steppes provides a broad overview of the musical instruments and styles in Mongolia such as köömiy or throat singing, instrumental ensemble and solo performances including instruments like morin kbuur (horse-head fiddle), and Urtïn duu (traditional singing).
First release in the Music of the Earth series.


Tracklisting:

1. Oyonchimeg, Mönkbtsetseg and others - Instrumental Ensemble: The Blue Silk Overcoat {1:56}

2. [uncredited artist] - Bogïno duu: A Leafy Tree {1:29}

3. [uncredited artist] - Bogïno duu: The River of Uliastay {2:08}

4. Jargalsaiban - Bogïno duu: The Snow-Crowned Altai Mountains {4:03}

5. Norobbanzad and Tsogbadraf - Urtïn duu: The Hallowed Road {2:45}

6. Tuvshinjargal, Tsogbadraf and Ganbolt - Urtïn duu: Sunder Mountain {5:28}

7. Yavghan, Bold and Shara - Song of Praise: Altai Mountain Paean {4:31}

8. Nergüi - Morin khuur Solo: Jonon Qara's Run {1:59}

9. Tserendawah - Köömiy: Shiilen boor {1:43}

10. Tserendawah - Köömiy: Full Moon {1:02}

11. Gonbdash - Amankhuur Solo: To Run Like Flowing Camel's Water {1:38}

12. Dandram - Shudraga Solo: Copper and Steel {1:25}

13. Narantsog - Zuur Solo: The Flow of the Eveen River {0:48}

14. Baldan and Baatar - Khuuchir Ensemble Medley: Ayi Nan Ayi and Two Hearts {2:09}

15. Sambalhundeb and Indü-reh - Bishur Ensemble: Bishur Appeal {2:06}

16. Narantuya - Yatag Performance: A Beloved Otter-Colored Horse {4:43}

17. Chi Bulag - Morin khuur Solo: Düngshang göögöö {3:55}

18. Gereltü and Jaabon - Urtïn duu: Dügüreng Žaan {2:13}

19. Badamjab - Epic Poem: The Tale of JangGar {3:25}

20. Jameha - Mongolian Song from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region: Oyrad un daGuu {4:22}

21. Dorjirinchin - Narrative: holboG-a {3:57}

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Echoes of Nature: Frog Chorus

Echoes of Nature: Frog Chorus

It's another Sunday. Might as well enjoy it as Monday is inevitable. As the title says, this is a recording of just frogs. I wish the first two two tracks were a little longer. The last track, the 44 minute "Frog Chorus", is mesmerizing.

As if seated at the edge of a marsh, you will soon feel surrounded with the calming croaking of your very own platoon of ever watchful friends, the frogs. Enjoy a frog duet and the relaxing sound of frogs singing alongside running water. Finally, under the moonlight, relax to an ever changing frog chorus.

Tracklisting:

1. Duet {2:24}

2. Water Frogs {3:36}

3. Frog Chorus {44:28}

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David Hykes & The Harmonic Choir

Here's a beautiful double LP from the Celestial Harmonies label, a glorious soundbath in lossless APE format. I even cleaned out a good deal of the scratches: HARMONIC MEETINGS

Harmonic chant with pure overtones, and sacred words from the Abrahamic religions, recorded 1986 in the abbey of Le Thoronet, France.

from the liner notes by David Hykes:

In my previous work with the Harmonic Choir, the pure vibrations of the harmonic voices always said what I wanted to say, without words.

All the same, for some years, I sought words that could be sung with this harmonic music. This interest came into the foreground when I was asked to compose music for a traveling art exhibition concerned with the sacred art of Christianity, Judasism and Islam...

As I began to research the musical histories of these religions, it became apparent that musical differentiations between them appeared in time as liturgies gradually diverged. (...) I became fascinated by accounts of the so-called jubilus singing in which the congregation would improvise using sacred words and syllables such as HALLELUYAH (Glory to God), sometimes even leaving out the consonants and chanting open vowels. In my own work, I tried to experiment with words common to at least two of these three religions.

It is the harmonic content of the words which interests me; singing pure vibrations and singing words is the same work. The harmonic content in a word can be brought to life; it comes from the same place as a pure vibration. Sacred words are vibrations and can be experienced as such; content can be found that is free from the ordinary mental and emotional associations which prevent words from having a resonant meaning in the present moment.Dive deep: (1) (2) (3)  [maybe reposted soon]

Masterpieces of Koto

Michio Miyagi - Masterpieces of Koto

From the liner notes:

Mr. Michio MIYAGI, 62, composer and a player of the Koto, a Japanese musical instrument, was world-renowned and second to none in the field of Koto music, one of the most traditional musics of Japan. Mr. Miyagi died June 24, 1956, in a most unfortunate railway accident.
This album was edited not only for praying for the bliss of the great master's death but in eternal memory of his artistic achievements.
This collection of Koto pieces, establishing his reputation as a composer and player, shows most distinctively his genius for music.

SAKURA VARIATION

In his twenties, Miyagi was influenced by the works of such foreign composers as Elman, Kreisler, and Zimbalist who made a visit to Japan at that time. Miyagi composed this variation in 1923. The original theme is a Koto song "Sakura" (Cherry-blossoms).
He used two 13-string Kotos and one 17-string Koto, equivalent to the violin, viola and cello in foreign style and opened a new phase in the world of Koto music. This style was undreamed of by the Koto players of this time.

RAIN IN LONDON

After taking part in the International Nations' Music and Dancing Festival held in France and Spain in July, 1953, Mr. Miyagi visited the British capital, London. It had kept raining all night, and the sound of the rain dripping from the high roof of the building gave him a poetic image that silver gems (he had seen rain in his childhood before loosing his sight) were dropping to the ground with a beautiful, heavenly sound. He composed this impression in two short days in London and broadcasted it to the British public, through B.B.C. for the first time.

SARASHI

This was composed by Miyagi in 1951. It is a duet of a high-pitched Koto and a bass Koto.
"Sarashi" means bleaching. In olden days, cloth was bleached in the streams. The stream of water is expressed in allegro and the popular Japanese classic song is expressed in andante. The pleasant arrangement of its quick and slow tempos in an excellent contrast can be greatly appreciated by the lover of good music.

SPRING SEA

Miyagi composed this in 1929 as a duet - the Koto and the "Shakuhachi" (A Japanese Bamboo Flute). In it he conjures an image of the peaceful spring sea doted with islets resplendent with flowers, an image inspired by a boat journey on the Inland Sea. You will enjoy a boatman's song, the sound of waves and scull, voice of a plover, etc, in this image.
This work has gained favor as a historic work of great value. A French lady violist, Renee Chernet, who visited Japan in 1932, was very fascinated by this piece and rearranged the part of Shakuhachi for violin. the rearrangement was played in a concert with the composer.

ROKUDAN

Opinion is divided as to the actual composer of this six-part tone, but a blind court musician, Yatsuhashi, who died in 1685, has been supported as the valid composer.
This is the typical masterpiece of Koto composition, with no words, in pursuit of the pure formal beauty of the sound.

SEOTO-The Sound of Rapids

When Mr. Miyagi made a recital tour to Joetsu District (Northern part of Japan) in the summer of 1923, he composed this music. It was inspired by the impressions he felt while standing on the bank of the Tone River, one of the three rapid rivers in Japan.
As Smetana left the world-famous music describing the River Moldau in Bohemia, so does Mr. Miyagi describe the voice of the flowing of the Tone. This masterpiece was played in duet - 13-string and 17-string Koto instruments.

THREE CHILDREN'S PLAY SONGS

Playing at Handball
Playing Hide and Seek
Playing Train

Miyagi was very interested in the old Japanese children's songs and folk songs which have been sung for centuries and are still cherished by the Japanese people of today. He recorded this in November, 1953. This evinces, in full, his technical skill and superiority in the art of Koto playing.

MIDARE

This, too, was composed by the old court musician, Yatsuhashi, 300 years ago. Like "Rokudan", it was composed in 10 grades of tone for the purpose of expressing the pure formal beauty of the sound only. However, the musical conception is expressed freely and in irregular timing. It is said that the title "Midare", meaning disorder, was given because of its irregular and unfixed timing of the tones.

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Sakura Variation {6:27}

2. Rain in London {4:04}

3. Sarashi {7:18}

4. Spring Sea {6:09}

Side 2

1. Rokudan {5:39}

2. Seoto: The Sound of Rapids {5:25}

3. Three Children's Play Songs {4:49}

4. Midare {7:20}

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One Happy Return with Cheap Imitations

After 3 weeks with a bad cold (couldn't even speak because my vocal chords refused to do their work) and no internet access, I'm glad to be here again. Grey Calx has outdone himself in the meantime, posting a whole truckload of interesting material. Bravissimo. So I feel obliged to post something special for my comeback:

 
1-3 Cheap Imitation (1969/77) - version for flute
performed by Eberhard Blum

4 Experiences I for 2 pianos (1945)
performed by Richard Bernas

5-7 Cheap Imitation for 24 instruments (1969/71)
performed by the Ensemble Modern and Paul Zukofsky

John Cage's "Cheap Imitation" is indeed a very pragmatic imitation of Erik Satie's "Socrate".
After writing an arrangement of "Socrate" for two pianos, on the occasion of one of his musical happenings, the Satie publisher rejected Cage's arrangement, making further performances of Cage's version impossible.

Cage then decided to compose an imitation of Satie's piece, keeping the rhythmics of the melody line, and replacing all pitches by new chance-determined pitches. In the following years, two adaptations of the original "Cheap Imitation" for piano were written, one for violin solo and the second for 24-96 instruments.

Both adaptations are presented here, for a most pleasurable listen. These are unreleased productions from German radio studios, recorded during radio broadcast.

"Experiences I" fits in very nicely as a knee-play for the two long pieces. It's from Cage's no-chance "romantic" period and borrows phrases of original Satie, reworking them in a very elegant repetitive way. This version is taken from the LP "Jan Steele/John Cage - Voices and Instruments" (Obscure No.5)

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Desert Winds

Desert Winds

Relax to the tranquil sound of the desert winds as they play nature's lullaby.

It's Sunday, which is time for another sounds of nature type post. This release was released on cassette where both sides of the tape are the same. Not sure if this was released on CD as there is hardly any information about this release or the label in the search engines. There are 8 seperate tracks or recordings. There is no information given on which desert(s) these recordings came from.
Desert Winds is a part of the Sounds of Nature series as this is #8 in the series.

Tracklisting:

1. track 1 {2:32}

2. track 2 {2:49}

3. track 3 {6:33}

4. track 4 {3:42}

5. track 5 {2:41}

6. track 6 {4:02}

7. track 7 {2:52}

8. track 8 {5:54}

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Piano Music of Erik Satie Volume 6

Erik Satie - Piano Music of Erik Satie Volume 6

performed by Aldo Ciccolini

This concludes the Piano Music of Erik Satie 6 volume set. Sorry, I'm missing Volume 5.

UPDATE: Volume 5 is posted.

Note: "Trois petites pièces montées" is composed for four hands; performed by Aldo Ciccolini with overdubbing

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Trois petites pièces montées {3:58}

2. Ogives {8:06}

3. Danses gothiques {8:55}

Side 2

1. Sonatine bureaucratique {3:30}

2. Poudre d'or (Valse) {4:30}

3. Pages mystiques {3:55}

4. Douze petits chorals {8:40}

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Piano Music of Erik Satie Volume 4

Erik Satie - Piano Music of Erik Satie Volume 4

performed by Aldo Ciccolini

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Gnossiennes, Nos. 4, 5 & 6 {6:25}

2. Nouvelles pièces froides {5:57}

3. Première pensée et Sonneries de la Rose-Croix {11:21}

4. Deux rêveries nocturnes (rev. Caby) {2:42}

Side 2

1. Petite ouverture à danser (rev. Caby) {1:15}

2. Quatre préludes {13:16}

3. Le Fils des étoiles {10:18}

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My Fascinating Instrument

Oskar Sala - My Fascinating Instrument

From Discogs:

Oskar Sala (1910, Greiz, Germany - 2002, Berlin, Germany) was one of the most innovative composers in the history of electronic music. His instrument, the Mixtur-Trautonium was first introduced to the public in 1952 and soon received international licenses. Its massive architecture remains so unique that nobody is able to reproduce the instrument nor interpret any of his compositions.

Oskar Sala had been a pupil of Friedrich Trautwein, the inventor of the Trautonium. But physicist Sala studied music with Paul Hindemith in 1930 at the Berlin conservatory and also played his compositions for Trautonium. Early on with Trautwein, he composed pieces for Trautonium and performed them with the Berlin Philharmony conducted by Carl Schuricht in 1940.

From the 40's, he dedicated himself to film scoring and helped numerous classics to gain their musical refinements. In 1960, Alfred Hitchcock was unsuccessfully searching for an acoustic environment to his eerie bird scenes until Sala convinced him to use his Trautonium-generated
sound-effects.

Someone asked for something from Oskar Sala. I managed to borrow a CD-R copy of this album from a friend. I did not receive any liner notes. As is the case with most innovative electronic musicians, I was introduced to Oskar Sala from the OHM: The Early Gurus of Electronic Music compilation (Concertando rubato from Elektronische Tanzsuite) which is also on here.

Tracklisting:

1. Fantasie-Suite in Drei Satzen Fur Mixturtrautonium Solo {20:58}

a) Demonstration b) Skala Nuova c) Farbmelodie

2. "Rede Des Toten Christus Vorn Weltgebaude Herab, Dass Kein Gott Sei"
{12:29}

3. Largo {4:52}

4. Fanfare {1:17}

5. Impression Electronique {6:46}

6. Elektronische Tanzsuite {16:07}

a) Concertando rubato b) Expressivo c) Glocoso d) Strepitoso e) Furioso

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There's also Sala's sound effects work on Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds available at Orpheus Music.

Piano Music of Erik Satie Volume 3

Erik Satie - Piano Music of Erik Satie Volume 3

Translations:

Embryons desséchés - Dessicated Embryos

Trois Sarabandes - Three Sarabands

Préludes flasques (Pour en chien) - Flabby Preludes (For a Dog)

Rêverie de l'enfance de pantagruel - Dream of Pantagruel's Childhood

Les Pantins dansent - The Puppets are Dancing

Passacaille - Passacaglia

Le Piège de Méduse - Medusa's Snare

Menus propos enfantins - Menus for Childish Purposes

Enfantillages pittoresques - Picturesque Childishness

Peccadilles importunes - Importune Peccadilloes

Pièces froides Trois Airs à faire fuir - Cold Pieces: Three Airs to Put to Flight

Pièces froides Trois Danses de travers - Cold Pieces: Three Crooked Dances

Prélude en tapisserie - Tapestry Prelude

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Embryons desséchés {5:13}

2. Trois Sarabandes {9:46}

3. Préludes flasques (Pour en chien) {3:29}

4. Rêverie de l'enfance de pantagruel {1:50}

5. Les Pantins dansent {1:26}

6. Passacaille {2:48}

Side 2

1. Le Piège de Méduse {3:05}

2. Menus propos enfantins {2:49}

3. Enfantillages pittoresques {3:27}

4. Peccadilles importunes {2:36}

5. Pièces froides Trois Airs à faire fuir {5:57}

6. Pièces froides Trois Danses de travers {3:42}

7. Prélude en tapisserie {2:36}

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Music of the Didjeridu

Peter Kaye - Music of the Didjeridu

The Australian Aboriginal (the World's oldest living culture) used the Didjeridu for musical accompaniment for their tribal dances and parties. Boomerangs, clapsticks, and bunches of seed pods were also used as percussion instruments. (from the liner notes)

To learn more about the didjeridu visit this site.

This was a cassette release. Both sides of the cassette are the same. The individual pieces are broken down into separate tracks and the entire side is also included for uninterrupted playback. Boomerangs, clapsticks and seed pods were used on this recording, accompanying Kaye's didjeridu playing. From what I can tell, all of the music here sounds improvised.

Peter Kaye is quite an expert on the didjeridu as he wrote a book called Play and enjoy the Didjeridu of the Australian Aboriginal. He describes the instrument and explains the methods used in playing the instrument including how to circular breathe. He also produced a companion cassette release to the book.

Tracklisting:

1. track 1 {2:22}

2. track 2 {1:03}

3. track 3 {0:30}

4. track 4 {2:15}

5. track 5 {0:35}

6. track 6 {0:45}

7. track 7 {1:01}

8. track 8 {1:34}

9. track 9 {2:29}

10. track 10 {0:45}

11. track 11 {1:10}

12. track 12 {0:59}

13. track 13 {2:22}

14. [entire side] {18:50}

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Piano Music of Erik Satie Volume 2

Erik Satie - Piano Music of Erik Satie Volume 2

performed by Aldo Ciccolini

Translations:

La belle excentrique - The Eccentric Beauty

Descriptions automatiques - Automatic Descriptions

Véritables préludes flasques (pour un chien) - Veritable Flabby Preludes (For a Dog)

Vieux sequins et vieilles cuirasses - Old Sequins and Old Cuirasses

En habit de cheval - In Riding Habit

Sports et divertissements - Sports and Entertainments

Chapitres tournés en tous sens - Chapters Turned Every Which Way

Apercus désagréables - Unpleasant Glimpses

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. La belle excentrique {6:08}

2. Descriptions automatiques {4:27}

3. Véritables préludes flasques (pour un chien) {2:40}

4. Vieux sequins et vieilles cuirasses {3:57}

5. En habit de cheval {6:27}

Side 2

1. Sports et divertissements {12:34}

2. Chapitres tournés en tous sens {4:52}

3. Apercus désagréables {4:03}

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