Early ElectroMIX is a series to document the history of experimental Electronic music from the 50s to the 80s, composers making use of electronic instruments, test equipment, generators of synthetic signals and sounds… to analog synthesizers…While our sessions document those who make it today my desire is to transmit some pioneering works which paved the way to what we try to create today.
Realizing that most of those seminal recordings were not available I decided to archive them in a contemporary way, DJing-mixing them and while most of the time running several sources together or in medleys I made sure to respect the original intent of each composers as I want to transmit their message rather than mine.
The only one I would dare deliver being that they should not be forgotten…
Philippe Petit / April 2021.
Recorded (on March 22/2021) for our series broadcasted on Modular-Station
https://modular-station.com
Tracklist:
Pierre Henry – Corticalart Medley pt.2 (1973) 00:00 > 24:21
Paul Pignon – Mechanical Cartoons (1975) 24:03 > 31:24
Iván Patatich – Ludus Syntheticus (1981) 30:40 > 38:43
Artificial Horizons – Echo Song (1974) 38:14 > 43:10
The Electric Weasel Ensemble – Live at KTEH Studios (Edit1) 41:34 > 52:47
Kraftwerk – Stratovarius (1970) 50:59 > 01:00
Pierre Henry – Corticalart Medley pt.2 (1973 / Prospective 21e Siècle)
Pierre Henry, with the assistance of the mysterious Roger Lafosse, built a brainwave-conduction system which he placed on the heads of various individuals, feeding the resultant voltages into a giant synthesizer. The concept being that the “Composer” of the music was the one to whom the transducers were affixed. You are listening to the third part of that legendary « Cortical Art » trilogy consisting of 2 live improvisations recorded in the Abbaye Saint-Victor, Marseille, France, during the opening of the 8th International Conference of electro-encephalography and clinical neurophysiology, 5th of September 1973. Pierre Henry most unrelenting work ever, essential !
Paul Pignon – Mechanical Cartoons (1975 / Modulisme)
Paul Pignon was born and grew up in the UK. Began playing jazz at 15. Studied physics at Oxford. While there in 1961 he made his first forays into non-idiomatic improvisation, abandoned Ph.D research at Oxford in favour of music. He moved to Yugoslavia and co-founded the Radio Belgrade Electronic Studio. 14 years working with the Synthi 100 which was originally custom built for the Studio which is when this work was recorded.
Iván Patachich – Ludus Syntheticus (1981 / Hungaroton)
Hungarian composer born in Budapest who composed around 200 film music works. His oeuvre also includes two operas and three ballets. From 1958 he also turned to electronic music and experimented in studios in Bratislava, Budapest, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Utrecht and New York. He won two prizes in Bourges in 1978 and 1984.
Artificial Horizons – Echo Song (1974 / Horizons Records)
Tom Behrens’ music is the vessel in which you will travel to galaxies unknown, walk on planets yet uncharted and see more of yourself as you are.
Between 1969 and 1972 he was a composition student at Ohio State University in Columbus and began to record some tracks but only when he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, did he give shape to his first and only recording project marrying Moog and EMS synthesizers with dulcimer, harp and flute.
The Electric Weasel Ensemble – Live at KTEH Studios (Edit1) (1978 / Modulisme)
The Electric Weasel Ensemble was formed in 1974 by Allen Strange (Music Easel & 200 System), Pat Strange (Music Easel, violin) and Don Buchla (200 and 300 Buchla System). These three musicians were experienced in various aspects of music for electric instruments and wished to collaborate in the exploration and creation of new musics from this media. In 1976 the core of the ensemble was expanded to include David Morse (Music Easel, violin) and Stephen Ruppenthal (Music Easel, trumpet, bell tree). This live recording was released on our Modulisme Session 21 « Buchlaïsms I » documenting the use of the Buchla Synth.
Kraftwerk – Stratovarius (1970 / Philips)
It’s been decades that Kraftwerk has become universally acclaimed and from every planet legions of fans keep invading their musical space… Even if they belong to the more obscure side of their Force the first 2 albums from this legendary group from Düsseldorf, Germany, are masterworks ! Here’s the anthem closing the A Side from #1…
Even if not Electronic allow me to recommend the acoustic chamber versions of both by the Zeitkratzer electric ensemble on Karl Rds.
