I am well aware that the AAAC rises and falls on my contribution. The World awaits my selection with bated breath. It’s a heavy burden.
To spite Olan I shortlisted several flute heavy albums. I looked to Jazz, Fusion, Post Rock and yes, even Prog, but thought I would move beyond the obvious.
The BBC Radiophonic Workshop is known to most as the outfit which produced the themes for Doctor Who, Horizon, Hitchhiker’s Guide (TV and radio), Blue Peter, along with hundreds of others during their long career, along with sound effects for The Goon Show thru Blake 7 and Kenny Everett amongst others. The Radiophonic Workshop cut it’s ties with the BBC some time ago but has continued the produce music sporadically.
After recently being introduced to Pye Audio Corner I did some research. The bands that have been influenced by the Frequency Generators, tape loops and distorted noises (and latterly analogue synths), range from early Pink Floyd all the way through to Pye Audio Corner (also on my shortlist).
This was released a couple of months ago and, as I only bought it last week, it is my current favourite thing. It is a great example of a simpler style of electronica. Think early Tangerine Dream. It IS retro. It is soundtracky but it is also awesome.
Available on Double CD or my beloved 4 x 10" vinyl boxset. It is a must for anyone who enjoys electronica sans contrived beeps, blurps and odd rhythm tracks.
I have a large collection of electronic music, in particular long-form minimalist ambient, so this should have been right up my street but it just didn’t gel for me in the way albums by Steve Roach or Robert Rich do. 2/5.
It’s just sounds rather than music. In fact, I do wonder if much of this could actually legally pass as music?
I think the BBC history and memories and nostalgia gives it psychological advantages for listeners of a certain age that it wouldn’t get if it was by, I dunno, Hipster Johnny or some such character.
They almost threatened a song at times on the last track. And actually the piano bits from around 4 minutes onwards are rather nice. That’s about the best I can say about it.
I’m with Nottie…
While there’s some good noises, and occasionally it’s pleasant background, it never actually gets going in any sort of coherantly musical way…
Much of it sounds like a Kraftwer intro, or the bits on Bitches Brew before the good bits. It’s like it’s threatening to be excellent, but never quite gets beyond "what if I twiddle this just a bit more?"
The thing that’s missing, for me, is any sense at all of A Groove. Even Brotzmann/Laswell/Sharrock/Shannon-Jackson had a groove (check from 1’10 on…)