Coming October 8, 2013

2013 reissue by Flannelgraph/Landlocked Music
Exclusively distributed by Light In The Attic
150g LP w/download card
Originally released in 1977 on Sine Wave Records
Remastered in 2013 by Alex DeTurk at Masterdisk

"Most lost-classic reissues fit snugly into genre ghettos, but Don Muro's 1977 masterpiece It's Time defies even our precise 21st-century methods of classification. Rock, funk, synth-pop, disco, ambient, space-age: nothing suffices. It's funny, it's solemn, it's light, it's shady, it's sly, it's earnest, and it's none and all of the above. Enjoy it ironically and suddenly it gets sublime; take it seriously and soon enough it's having fun at your expense. I dare you to try to file this one away - chances are it'll keep poking its head out of your collection, challenging you to figure it all out before it even attracts a speck of dust."
- Marc Masters (Pitchfork, The Wire)

Originally self-released in 1977, synthesizer pioneer Don Muro’s It’s Time is the singular work of one man combining his skills as a trained musician with a truly creative spirit and the somewhat unmarketable insistence that all of these different styles of music would make up his debut album. While this kind of genre hopping can often take away from an album’s coherence, “It’s Time” works as a whole because these are such well-crafted and interesting songs. At times playfully fun, at times beautifully earnest, It’s Time is consistently engaging for its entire 42 minutes. Muro’s sincere love of what he is creating shines through whether it’s a catchy, triumphant rock anthem, a subtly emotive instrumental synthesizer piece or an intense fusion dance jam.

“This album was released 36 years ago. Listening to it now brings fond memories of an intensely creative period in my life. There was time to explore many styles of music, and there was time to experiment with new instruments and equipment. No computers, no MIDI - only a room crammed with guitars, drums, keyboards, and an 8-track tape recorder. I didn’t have a specific audience for the album, hence the variety of styles. Back then people would actually sit and listen to albums as a total experience. I started and ended the album with aggressive synthesizer music, but in between those songs I was inviting listeners to go for a ride. Looking back, I would say that the variety of styles is both the strongest and weakest aspect of the album. But that’s who I was and, to a degree, who I still am. “
- Don Muro, 2013

Having spent much of his life teaching others about the latest music technology through his books, videos, classes and seminars, Muro’s influence on electronic music is immeasurable. His demonstration compositions for the legendary Korg M1 helped to make it the world’s best selling synthesizer. The recipient of several ASCAP composition awards, Muro’s music has been performed everywhere from New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral (where he presented the cathedral's first synthesizer concert) to Disneyland.

preorder at flannelgraphrecords.com

Don Muro "Squash" (1977)

Gregg Turkington AKA Neil Hamburger in conversation with Cris. Topics ranging from what it is like to play Madison Square Garden in NYC in front of 18,000 rabid Tenacious D fans to seeing John Cougar Mellencamp get clocked in the head at a show in Phoenix, AZ. (Where do cantaloupes go in the summer? John Cougar Mellencamp, of course.) Intro music is Teenagers by The Meat Puppets, outro is I'm in Your Band from Great Phone Calls by Neil Hamburger.

7: Gregg Turkington AKA Neil Hamburger

Aviary 7/27/16-6

Is dicking around a genre? i imagine this track could be used during the opening sequence of any 1985 Hollywood Action flick where the affable comic sidekick is trying to get to work, but keeps running into street situations. 

FalterMeyerWeiners

captures the listless sadness that permeates our witness to the regressive legacy of entropy's indifference. 

No One Is Inside You

ONLY

"The Last Smile" by Don Muro is part of the new release "Synthesizer Pop for a New Age: 1974-1978" out now on @flannelgraphrecords 

Digital / Limited Color Vinyl: http://flannelgraphrecords.com/album/synthesizer-pop-for-a-new-age-1974-1978

Flannelgraph Records is very proud to present what we personally consider some of the best synthesizer instrumentals ever created, somehow unreleased for 40 years! A music educator, composer and more, Don Muro is one of the good guys. On this release, Don takes us on a delightful jouney through danceable jammers that would not be out of place on a Goodson-Todman production, sparse, contemplative prog and beautiful soothing space music. Imagine your favorite local television station ID bumper from 1976 extrapolated into a full album of sonic bliss. 

Synthesizer Pop for a New Age: 1974-1978 will be released in an edition of 259 copies on hazy multicolored vinyl, similar to the appearance of the lava on David Orr’s brilliant cover artwork.


SIDE A
Camel Ride (1974) 4:18
The Whistler (1977) 3:11
Protosquash (1975) 2:48
First Frost From Yon High Eastern Hills (1976) 4:05
Everything’s Going My Way (1974) 5:34

SIDE B
Unending Highway (1978) 7:19
Dakota Burial Ground (1974) 3:50
The Last Smile (1978) 6:09

Synthesizer Pop for a New Age (1974-1978)

DC Promo Tracks #55: Don Muro "The Last Smile"

I'm shamelessly dabbling here in the new "Blend" genre that Keith Fullerton Whitman invented with his "Fleetwood Mac; Albatross (Blend)" ( https://soundcloud.com/kfw/fleetwood-mac-albatross-blend ), which rules.

I did forgo the studio version here, but this is every live recording I could find of Starflyer 59 performing "Traffic Jam" stitched together only to be eventually swallowed up by compression and reverb. It was fun to make, ok?

If you have more unique live recordings of this song, send them to me and I'll add them to it.

Don Muro "Squash" (1977)

FlannelgraphRecords

Recent comments

CanMan

Related tracks