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Music Talk: Ambient and Avant Garde


Jim Naseum

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The reason I don't like baroque, classical or romantic concert music (opera excepted!) is that the art and life of the period doesn't say anything to me in 2015. I want to know how today's artists feel about the world and their expressions, because that's a world I live in and can relate to. The "old music" can be interesting historically, once in a while, but it's not my diet. 

 

I enjoy a very wide interpretation of "ambient music." Often called, music to think by, Although Brian Eno first coined the word for his "Music for Airports" - it has now come to encompass dozens of avant garde music making processes and expressions. I like Harold Budd, Lisa Gerrard, DCD, Enigma,  Peter Namlook (RIP), Aphex Twins and of course Brian Eno. 

 

Do you have any favorites in the genre? 

 

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Avant Garde is a bit of a specialty for me.

 

Love Eno...

 

Above all I love Laurie Anderson

 

laurie-anderson-2.gif

 

I have grown tired of 4/4 timing and westernized 8 note scales... decades ago.

 

I long for Micro Tonality and traditional cultural music.

Edited by Schu
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I was a first adopter for the Eno ambient series.  One time, I mean one time back in the 90's I was at an airport and music for airports was being played.  How perfect, yet short lived its all been crap since.  As a counterpoint to your feelings about the old stuff, I find it perfectly relevant because people haven't changed and neither have the basic issues of the human condition since that time.

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Big Fan of Lou Harrison, Conlon Nancarrow and more recently Steven Reich...

 

 

this is an incredible performance by Rob Kovacs of Steven Reichs piece called "Phase". it really shouldn't be played by a single person because of it's beautiful complexities... but Kovacs was able to do it.

 

Edited by Schu
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I find it perfectly relevant because people haven't changed and neither have the basic issues of the human condition since that time.

 

Well, something changed or Bach would have been writing what Budd is writing today.

 

People's nature hasn't changed much, but life has definitely changed.  

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Re: Piano Phase vid posted by Schu ^^^ I cannot believe his forearms don't cramp up playing that for 13 minutes straight!

+++

 

Would some of you care to post other Youtube vids of this "ambient music" genre?

Edited by wvu80
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Big Fan of Lou Harrison, Conlon Nancarrow and more recently Steven Reich...

 

 

this is an incredible performance by Rob Kovacs of Steven Reichs piece called "Phase". it really shouldn't be played by a single person because of it's beautiful complexities... but Kovacs was able to do it.

 

Amazing performance - no doubt. 

 

I liked the sound better on the original 

 

At least with headphones, which I assume it was mixed for? 

 

Wonderful work either way. 

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If this doesn't melt you, nothing will. 

https://youtu.be/JGmvXGBBfjs

 

Terrific!

 

It reminds me of Bjork, Dancer in the Dark.  Same chord progressions.

 

 

Edit

 

Harold Budd:  Thanks for the vid, it will take me 45 min to get through it to comment.  Same with Laurie Anderson.

Edited by wvu80
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A very small sample of some of my favorites.. Not just 2015 by any stretch though...more like 1990-2014.

 

Earth Breath - Human Terminal

The Last Leaf - Aloof Proof

Wuub - Woob

Latneiro - Journeyman

8:07 - Global Communication

A Strangley Isolated Place - Ulrich Schnauss

Singtree - Solar Quest

 

The forum won't let me post that many links so just dump each one into the YouTube search bar no problem. Hope you got time, and a tall glass of Scotch. :wink:

 

I also recommend giving http://www.sleepbot.com/ambience/ a looksee.

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Do you have any favorites in the genre?

 

A very small sampling of my favorites:

 

One of the first ambient music compositions:

 

 

Forward 150 years to Erik Satie -- one of the impressionists that defined "ambient"

 

 

Claude Debussy

 

Wendy Carlos - Sonic Seasonings (released 1972, no available video) -- the first successful "modern ambient" composer in terms of album sales

 

George Winston - December

 

Bill Douglas - Eternity's Sunrise

Edited by Chris A
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Jim Chappell - Tender Ritual

 

The Art of Noise - The Ambient Collection

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zTm0FMmhxA

 

Philip Glass Uakti ("wa-kee-chee") - Aguas da Amazonia

 

In addition, more artists include Suzanne Ciani, Ray Lynch, Patrick O'Hearn, "Fresh Aire" series from Mannheim Streamroller, Harold Budd, David Lanz, David Arkenstone, Chilly Gonzales...etc.  All are ambient genre compositions.

Edited by Chris A
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Used idioglossiFrom those commenting so far, is this genre (I know it's Eddie and lose), your main musical interest? I go back and forth between this modern music and 1950s pop and jazz.

A couple years ago I was having trouble sleeping. That's when I discovered Brian Eno's "Music for Airports" and composer Harold Budd, and Bill Douglas, and Constance Demby. I had all that loaded on an iPod, and would let it play in a loop all night long. It really does change the space you occupy. Much the way that color or scent changes a space. It exists without demanding specific attention unless you want to.

Another artist I dig is Lisa Gerrard. She was half of the Dead Can Dance, and has many solo albums and other collaborations. She has a remarkable voice which she uses as an instrument. By which I mean, she doesn't sing words in a known language, but instead uses idiogossia, a personal language of ones self. So that, like a horn player, she infuses the notes with an emotional vector that each listener can go with their own intentions or need. Very moving. Each visit to her work can reveal new feeling.

Right now, I feel there isn't enough time on the day to explore the riches available in this genre!

Sent from my SM-T330NU using Tapatalk

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