Feeling like 3 hours of American gamelan? I got you covered.

In the last few months, I had an immersion into the 'genre'. A story of how deeply personal obsession of Canadian composer Colin McPhee (and later his American counterpart Lou Harrison) resulted in the unlikely transplant of traditional Indonesian music culture into the ivied towers of American academia. A story somewhat related, but very different from musicological cliché about Exposition Universelle 1889, French musical impressionists and tiresome litanies about cultural colonialism.

While I was going through the written history, I also started to amass the recordings. In stark contrast to the abundance of bibliography - McPhee alone wrote three books - I was surprised to find that audio renderings are few and far between. Most of it out-of-print or released by tiny avant classical or uni-adjacent imprints. It took a while to source and process it. Most of what I encountered is gorgeous. Depressingly, obscure to anyone but people purposely researching the subject. Midway through this process I realized I should systematize the findings into a sort of digestible genre survey. I find it's a good way to remember things. And since not many people in their right mind would undertake similar deep-dive I decided to share it. The 'programme' is a lengthy one due to the nature of the material. So, I split it in 2 parts.

The timespan is from the 1930s (McPhee's brilliant proto-Reichian orchestral stylisation Tabuh-tabuhan) via postwar music by Harrison and minimalist gamelan by the 1970s downtown cohort (Barbara Benary, Philip Corner) + their West Coast counterparts (Daniel Schmidt, Daniel Lentz). With healthy dose of recent'ish pieces by Brian Baumbusch, Bill Alves and Michael Tenzer. I also included some sonorically sympathetic works by Partch and Cage which influenced all the above. There're also odder bits by Robert Turman, John L.Adams, Maggi Payne and R. Murray Schafer to keep things quirky. Now I don't know who would be interested in 3 hours of gamelan, but it's up there for the taking.

Full tracklist here:
https://snowsovgethen.com/journal/snows-ov-gethen-hermetic-journals-american-gamelan-part-i-ii

Hermetic Journals: American Gamelan Part I

What would Medieval Solstice Discothèque sound like? Saltarello, estampie, pavane, galliards... A few motets, tientos, virelais, conductuses, canons? This one is holidays decoration aid, a mini-survey of early music substrata of Gerd Berg's gorgeous Reflexe Series and a celebration of Winter Solstice (hence the title). All for the price of one! Mind you, it's ninety minutes of Medieval, Renaissance and a pinch of Baroque musics. All of it pre-equal temperament, pre-standardized notation and pre-tonal music setup. There's no neat set of major/minor scales, standard chord progressions or artificial symmetry. Many of these tunes and compositions are in rather fanciful renditions. Most of it done in the second half of the twentieth century by musicians and researchers raised on hardcore musical modernism. No wonder many arcane techniques (hocket, canon, Ars Nova's isorhythms) were so thoroughly appropriated in post-WWII musical avantgarde.

Deciphering rhythmic notation with is fairly problematic for a large swathe of this repertoire. So don't think about these interpretations in terms of precision. One of the charms of early music is that each time one and the same composition is performed it will likely sound very different. But some early music ensembles managed to piece together their own recognizable style, despite foggy research and disparate sources. In this set we have Studio Der Frühen Music; The Hilliard Ensemble; Ricercare-Ensemble Für Alte Musik, Zürich; Jordi Savall and his Hespèrion XX; Das Linde Consort. Those were all brilliant and lucky enough to be active when the recording industry was awash with money and could throw big budgets at niche projects. Reflexe Series being one of the finest. These 1.5 hours is a quick parkours of my personal favourites, but there're many others. Perhaps for another time. I hope it could be the gateway for someone who only start their exploration or just a temporary festive companion. Happy start to the holidays run-up!
Tracklist here:
https://snowsovgethen.com/journal/snows-ov-gethen-hermetic-journals-reflexiones-solstitii-medieval-renaissance-baroque-early-music-solstice-special

Hermetic Journals: Reflexiones Solstitii

In the mists, on an overgrown path. Paraphrasing Leoš Janáček - the musical poet of Bohemia. I included one murky impressionistic fragment from his "V mlháh", but otherwise this Czech-centric issue is aimed at the country's late 20th century experimentalism. Roughly 1970-99. Basically, the last 20 years of weakening Soviet grip in liberalizing Czechoslovakia and subsequent decade of newly democratic Czech Republic post-Velvet Revolution. The story that's painfully familiar to me being a fellow Slav and looking (remotely) at similar events unfolding in tragic slow-motion in my native Ukraine.

But politics aside, this is about the music. I got interested in this repertoire about 10 years ago. Following a deep dive into the avant folk of Irena and Vojtěch Havlovi and then contemporary Finders Keepers' excavation of the '70s film scores by Luboš Fišer and Zdeněk Liška. Following the thread with Havlovi I then discovered guitarist Oldřich Janota. Who's a sort of binding agent of Prague's experimental circuit circa late 1980s and on. Including bands Jiná Rychlost Času and Richter Band, jazz vocalists Iva Bittová and Mirka Křivánková, experimental-leaning instrumentalists Jaroslav Kořán and Zdeněk Konopásek. And then there's jazz reedist Jiří Stivín who was another key facilitator. Navigating from prog to avant jazz and collaborating with Pierre Favre, John Surman and Barre Phillips among others. As well as producing aforementioned Křivánková and Hungarian folk siren Márta Sebestyén.

While the overall aesthetics are roughly in line with the trends of the era - including, but not limited to avant jazz, Medieval-tinged folk revivalism, free improv, minimalism, drone, neopsychedelia, ambient, even post-rock - all the above comes out sounding utterly unique. Familiar stylistic signatures rendered oddly out of focus. As if following surreal, dreamlike logic of Czech New Wave films or some haunted, woodsy fairytale. Echoing in the empty halls of Sleeping Beauty's kingdom where the awakening kiss never arrives. For those who are interested and perhaps willing to venture further the tracklist is here:
https://snowsovgethen.com

Hermetic Journals: In The Mists (On The Overgrown Paths Of Czech Musical Avantgarde 1970 - 1999)

Here's to celebrate incoming total solar eclipse. They say once in a lifetime experience. Although apparently there are obsessives who travel around the globe to capture the celestial veiling like those two surfers chasing their big wave in "The Endless Summer". Here in Montréal we are in the path of "totality". Meaning there's going to be the nocturnal effect, temperature drop and stellar corona. How amazing is that? I thought it's worth commemorating with some topical musical accompaniment. I'll call it "Songs To The Black Sun".

There's the contemplative part and the fun part. The former is the first half which I decided is for celestial bodies alignments. Cosmogonic experimentalism, solar-winded overtone singing, stormy pagan folk (on cello), lopsided minimalisms (pleasingly non-American), celestial gamelan and spacey ambiances. I think I describe it correctly.

The second half is post-alignment entertaintments. With refrescados of your choice. Crowdpleasers include pre-startdom My Bloody Valentine with fabulously entitled "Kiss The Eclipse"; etherealized goth theatrics by Dead Can Dance, Einsturzende Neubauten and Coil; endearingly silly early 90s bleep house and jazzy vapours by Mr. Robert Wyatt. All painstakingly topical. And to prove it I hereby attach the tracklist. If anyone feels like joining in the watching and listening party the link's in bio. Happy celestial viewings! Just don't forget to put on your ISO Certified Eclipse Glasses.

Tracklist at:
https://snowsovgethen.com/journal/snows-ov-gethen-hermetic-journals-songs-to-the-black-sun-total-solar-eclipse-special

Hermetic Journals: Songs To The Black Sun (Total Solar Eclipse Special)

The third in the Holy TrinTity of issues focusing on Hellenic mythologies. Really can’t promise it won’t become Tetralogy next year. But yeah, it became a tradition to do Grecian olive-hued melange before heading to Crete each June.

This season won’t be an exception. There’s always a moment during a rather long flight to Greece when you can no longer binge on unwatched TV, impersonate working on your laptop or solve puzzles. These selecciones are for that moment. As well as for subsequent imbibing of tsikoudia while taking in Aegean vistas and car rides to the ancient Aptera or one of the Lefka Ori’s gorges.

This time around I was triggered by the story that one Heraklion-dwelling historian once told me. A hypothesis that the myth of Atlantis might have been inspired by the catastrophic volcano eruption and subsequent tsunami around 1500 BC. The one that destroyed most of the cities and villages on Crete and Ancient Thera (modern Santorini). Effectively precipitating the decline of the Minoan civilization.

Long story short, that's a tiny fraction of diverse music that has to do with lost islands/continents, sea-bound mythology, civilization-destroying natural cataclysms and yes, the ever-terrifying story of Atlantis.

I said diverse, but what does it mean? Well, there’s some authentic traditional Greek music (actually Cretan one); some less authentic approximation of the ancient one (Paniagua’s reconstruction of the ‘Hymn to the Sun’); a few thematic extractions from Robert Ashley’s ouvres; some sun-lit jazz-adjacencies (Sun Ra, Hasell, Hosono, Vallon); a bit of olden synthy/proggy library music (Benoît Widemann, Joel Vandroogenbroek); a pinch of avantgarde (George Crumb); a drop of disco and vintage popular fare (John Forde); a dollop of aquatic new age (Toshifumi Hinata, J.D. Emmanuel)… Something like that. I think it worked out ok. Should pair nicely with watermelon and raki.

Full tracklist at:
https://snowsovgethen.com/journal/snows-ov-gethen-hermetic-journals-let-me-take-you-to-atlantis

Hermetic Journals: Let Me Take You To Atlantis

Here’s a film music-angled guest mixology for the great late Chambre Noire series. A sprawling and tentacled collaged focus on music and sound design for cinematic experiences. My concentration is on art films, 1970-80s horror (American, Euro as well as Asiatique), cult flicks, animation and documentaries. 

Although tracklist features some big-name film composers who ended up co-opted into Hollywood death-machine (Morricone, Howard Shore, Pino Donaggio, Badalamenti) I tried to focus on their odder early efforts instead.

Includes momentous creations by Popol Vuh, Third Ear Band, Sonic Youth, Toru Takemitsu, David Lynch, John Lurie, Haruomi Hosono, Fabio Frizzi, RZA, Riz Ortolani, Komeda, Coil, Messiaen, Simon Fisher Turner, Stereolab, Eduard Artemiev, Michael Nyman, Klaus Schulze, Brian Eno, Wendy Carlos, Tangerine Dream, our lady Meredith Monk and a bunch of other greats, both, directors and musicians. Full tracklist with movie titles and directors (see link below). Eye-pleasing digital collage by Bunzinelli

Full tracklist with the list of flicks and directors is here:
https://snowsovgethen.com/journal/snows-ov-gethen-chambre-noire-58-art-house-and-horror-soundtracks-special

Short tracklist below (a lot of tracks are in the collage-like combination, so the sequence is approximate and based on the time-code of entry):

1.	Popol Vuh "Great Ecstacy Of The Woodcarver Steiner" 
2.	Stan Brakhage "The Test Of Time #18 - K.A.I.R. Radio the University of Colorado's campus radio station (1982)" 
3.	Haruomi Hosono "Rajyoumon" 
4.	Toru Takemitsu "Kwaidan (Ghost Stories, 1964)" 
5.	Riz Ortolani "Adulteress' Punishment"
6.	Mark Reeder "Monika By The Sea" 
7.	RZA "Ghost Dog Theme (W/ Dogs & Efx)" 
8.	Joe Delia "Fashion Beat" 
9.	Fabio Frizzi "Sequenza Ritmica E Tema" 
10.	Ryuichi Sakamoto "Bathroom" 
11.	John Lurie "Ahhh Fishing" 
12.	Apinya Unphanlam "Destiny" 
13.	David Motion and Sally Potter "Broken Ice" 
14.	James Horner "The Name Of The Rose - Main Titles" 
15.	Ronald Frangipane & Don Cherry "Pissed and Passed Out" 
16.	Pino Donaggio "Telescope" 
17.	Akritchalerm Kalayanamitr "Dawn of Boonmee" 
18.	John Lurie "Tuesday Night In Memphis - Suite" 
19.	Angelo Badalamenti "Dark Mood Woods/The Red Room" 
20.	Marek Zebrowski "Polish Night Music No. 1”
21.	Songs of The Humpback Whale "Solo Whale" 
22.	Charles Wain "The Last Wave" 
23.	Almeda Riddle "My Little Rooster (Cockadoodledoo)" 
24.	Krzysztof Komeda "Two Man And The Wardrobe" 
25.	Krzysztof Komeda "Nóż w wodzie 2" 
26.	Parker Tyler "The Test Of Time #18 - K.A.I.R. Radio the University of Colorado's campus radio station (1982)" 
27.	Sonic Youth "Slambiant Desire" 
28.	Howard Shore "Main Title - Public Scanning" 
29.	Ennio Morricone "Il Corvo Professore" 
30.	Mike Ratledge "Riddles Of The Sphinx Sequence 2" 
31.	Vladimir Cosma "Promenade Sentimentale" 
32.	Jean-Claude Vannier / Serge Gainsbourg "Jane Et Olivier" 
33.	Simon Fisher Turner "How Blue Sky Was" 
34.	Olivier Messiaen "La Nativité du Seigneur: Les Bergers" 
35.	Coil "Exploding Frogs" 
36.	Gray "So Far From Real" 
37.	Rick Ulfik "Viper Theme" 
38.	J. Spacemen/Sun City Girls "Blues 1" 
39.	Third Ear Band "Court Dance" 
40.	Michael Nyman "Chasing Sheep Is Best Left To" 
41.	George Dunning "Zodiac Blues" 
42.	Howard Shore "Crash" 
43.	Edward Artemiev "Stalker - Meditation" 
44.	Luboš Fišer "17 - in flames" 
45.	Wendy Carlos "The Rocky Mountains" 
46.	Jocelyn Pook "Masked Ball" 
47.	Brian Eno "Prophecy Theme" 
48.	Klaus Schulze "Freeze" 
49.	Tangerine Dream "Grind" 
50.	Graeme Miller & Steve Shill "Creepers" 
51.	Stereolab "Blue Milk [Edit]" 
52.	Meredith Monk "Travellers 4, Churchyard Enter" 
53.	Luis Bacalov "Snaporaz's Trip" 
54.	Joe Delia "The Party/The Massacre" 
55.	Coati Mundi Hernandez "K Pasa" 
56.	Roberto Donati "Eaten Alive!" 
57.	Michel Magne "Theme De Fantômas" 
58.	Bruce Langhorne "Ending"

Chambre Noire Mix No. 58 • Film Music Special: Demimonde Art House, Horror And Midnight Flicks

Psychotropic acid trances melting in the summer heatwaves. Wait for the night. Put on yer tie-dyes. Start a car. Head to the nearest beach. There you'll find a tribe ov Psychic Warriors and Stardivers. Stomping out their rituals in the dusty sands. Join them. Never look back.

https://snowsovgethen.com

Hermetic Journal: Journey Of Acid Dragoons (Live At Trancecentral)

Fat and sloppy tunamelt megadump ov Tellus Audio Zines. Rough and hot from the air fryer. Will it take you on a journey? Does it ask right questions? Might it have a story to tell? Oh honey, it’s got goddamn storytelling so aplenty you wouldn’t know what to do with yourself. While at it I suggest some eye-rolling exercises, to prevent those crow’s feet from spreading. If you have questions write a letter or, better yet, ask artificial intelligences. They are there to make you a better person.

I'm sure there's not many who will seek a tracklist, but for those who do it shall be momentously featured at the following address:
https://snowsovgethen.com/journal/snows-ov-gethen-hermetic-journals-tellus-art-mart-smarts-the-malfunction-of-art-in-the-age-of-ai-reproduction

For those with mild interest but rapidly disappearing attention span I'll mention that the issue features artworks by the following artistes:
Lydia Lunch, Takehisa Kosugi, Pauline Oliveros, James Tenney, Ellen Fullman, Glenn Branca, Paul DeMarinis, Ben Johnston, Elliot Sharp, Elodie Lauten, Paul Dresher, Sussan Deihim, Laetitia Sonami, Hearn Gadbois, David Hykes and many others.

So what are you waiting for? Hit that goddamn play button.

Hermetic Journals: Tellus Art Mart Smarts • The Malfunction Of Art In The Age Of AI Reproduction

It's great weather in Buda. Raining again in Pest. There’re people in Új Zenei Stúdió. They are arguing while imbibing amber-coloured tokay. Tibor et László vont en bateau. Rivette and Tarr have lively discussion about why Eastern European nouvelle vague was such a hit and miss. Also, why cinéma vérité only rarely works out with critics and almost never with the audience. Krasznohorkai can’t stand any of this, so he cooks Hortobágyi palacsinta in the kitchen. Why not put away those worn oblique strategies and I Ching and calculate your moves with Rubik’s cube instead? And if you take one step too far there’s always Mulomedicina Chironis. Sátán can tangó? Ah ya.


Cut-ups of  Hungarotronics. Mit:
Zoltán Jeney, Péter Eötvös, Tibor Szemzõ, László Sáry, László Hortobágyi, Iván Patachich, László Dubrovay, Group180, László Melis, István Mártha, Makam és Kolinda. Zoltán Pongrácz, Róbert Mandel, Muzsikás, Béla Bartók, György Kurtág, Ákos Rózmann… And more? Yes, and more.

HJ#43: Sátán Can Tangó - The invisible stories of Hungarotronics

Summoning the nurturing juices of Ēostre. Gathering the stones. Raking sanded geometries. Decanting nectars. What are these mysterious objects at noon? Are those the forested-over remnants of the failed emperor's invisible castle? They might as well be. Half-forgotten, half-remembered. Stillness is not all, but it's not nothing.
Summoning the nurturing juices of Ēostre. Gathering the stones. Raking sanded geometries. Decanting nectars. What are these mysterious objects at noon? Are those the forested-over remnants of the failed emperor's invisible castle? They might as well be. Half-forgotten, half-remembered. Stillness is not all, but it's not nothing.


More >> https://snowsovgethen.com/journal/hermetic-journals-no-44-mysterious-objects-at-noon-variations-on-i-remember

HJ#44: Mysterious objects at noon. Variations on 'I remember'

Transmissions to the aether • des bruits colorés
https://snowsovgethen.com/

New tracks tagged #Snows Ov Gethen