I’ve always enjoyed electronic music, or at least thought I did, although I suspect being partial to Tangerine Dream doesn’t prepare me for the hard edge of electronic music. But on seeing this 2CD compilation in a charity shop, for a tiny sum, names such as Ray Cathode, Karlheinz Stockhausen and John Cage persuaded me to part with my cash.
It's subtitled 50 innovative tracks from the early electronic explorers, and definitely the sort of thing I hear on Stuart Maconie’s Freak Zone and sometimes enjoy, so it's time to listen to the whole thing.
Everything on here is from 1955-1962, so it is very early stuff, much from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, but the feeling is it’s music made by electronic people, interesting experiments for the time, not necessarily great listening 60 years later. Lots of beeps and squeaks, and occasional tunes.
Tom Dissevelt’s work is interesting film style music, Attilo Mineo creates moody pieces, while Dick Jacobs’ recreation in electronica of Volare and other standards amuses. But most is electronic sound, which many wouldn’t call music, although Max Mathews’ Bicycle Built For Two (Daisy) lightens up proceedings halfway through the first disc. But this album is of historical interest, not of musical interest. There’s far more interesting and rewarding ways to access electronic music, but this one’s for the early purists and the curious. Not for actually sitting down and listening to.
2* - interesting that it was done, and valuable pioneering work, but it’s not a relaxing or rewarding Sunday morning listen.
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