Category: Records

Francisco López’s SONM archive

Francisco López has very generously made his private music collection into a public resource, the Sound Archive of Experimental Music and Sound Art (SONM). It’s a free streaming-only archive, but one has to register to listen. According to López,

[t]his sound archive is not the result of a collector’s accumulation (I am not a collector) but is instead the consequence of an intense activity as an artist, and also of one of the most fundamental features of the international community of sound artists: the exchange and collaboration, both physical and telematic. The archive is thus a personal collection, subjective, partial, and particularly focused on the global communities of so-called “independent” or “underground” artists, which I am part of since the late 70s.

In spite of this, however, since my sonic and pesonal interests have always been very wide, the natural result in the collection is a large variety and representation of the inmense universe of sound practices in experimental music and sound art. With nearly 5,000 items on cassette, vinyl, CD, and DVD, at the time of its offical opening, this sound archive is predominantly composed of very small editions -in many cases self-editions by the artists themselves- encompassing all kinds of aesthetics, movements, periods, labels, and sonic manifestations: electronic, concrete, industrial, noise, minimal, improvisation, soundscapes, glitch, turntablism, avant-garde, etc.

Furthermore, the collection is in constant expansion with all the sound materials I personally receive and with the contributions of a myriad sound artists worldwide that want their work to be adequately preserved and promoted with the resources of this sound archive.

The Experimental Music Studios of the UIUC celebrates 50th anniversary

The Experimental Music Studios of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has released an four CD set in celebration of their 50th anniversary. The music is freely available as mp3s.

There is also a paper on the history of the center by Emanuele Battisti: The Experimental Music Studio at the University of Illinois, 1958-68: Environment, People, Activities, and one can find more history-related stuff if one looks around the site.

Lejaren Hiller created and directed the studio during its first ten years. He left in 1968 when he was appointed professor of composition at SUNY at Buffalo, and his archive belongs to the SUNY Music Library. The inventory, together with a brief chronology and bibliography, is compiled by Pei-jung Wu (this resource will be added to the EAM meta-bibliography).

Via Synthopia.

Gramophone Archive

All issues of Gramophone magazine are now available online in full text (though one has to register for access to the PDF scans). One can search the archive and narrow the results down by decade and year. There are some 1500 results for electronic music and about 200 for concrete music. However, not all of these are reviews. The term electroacoustic music is only used in reviews from 1990 onwards, and ‘acousmatic’ not at all.

In the very first review of musique concrète, the reviewer, L.S., concludes: “To the intellectually curious, this disc will be of great interest: whether this is what we look forward to as the music of the future is another matter, not [to] be entered into here.” The record reviewed is the Pierre Henry/Pierre Schaeffer Ducretet-Thomson DTL93090, containing Bidule en Ut, Schaeffer’s 1955 Etudes, Henry’s Le Voile d’Orphée and other works.

The overall tone of the review is a mix of condescension and prejudice: Neither Schaeffer nor Henry is counted amongst “real composers”, unlike Boulez or Messiaen, despite the fact that Henry studied both with the latter and Nadia Boulanger, and the review begins with the usual science-fiction reference.

Well, at least something has changed for the better; I daresay reviews like this are more unusual today.

Thanks to InternetBrus for the tip.

Skivbolagslistan – the label list

This is a list of Swedish record labels releasing EAM, electronica, improvisation, noise, experimental, industrial, text-sound, dark ambient, contemporary classical etc. It’s probably far from exhaustive, so additions are welcome. The list shows label name, main genres and some examples of artists.

>>> Adrian Recordings. Pop, rock, electronica, techno – The Bear Quartet, Familjen, The Fine Arts Showcase, Andreas Tilliander
>>> Alice Musik. EAM, improvisation, contemporary classical, free jazz, poetry, early music etc. – Mats Persson/Kristine Scholz, Akos Rozmann, Sten Sandell, Raymond Strid
>>> Astor Bell. Electronic, minimal techno, IDM – Dan Brasco, 1st Dude, Giuseppe, Wunderblock
>>> Beläten. Post avant-garde pop – Ekman, Michael Idehall, Trepaneringsritualen
>>> Bendi Records. Varied – Datahysteri
>>> Bokbandet. Poetry and music – Tuomo Haapala, Håkan Sandelius
>>> Bombax bombax. Experimental music and sound – Anders Dahl, Skogen, Unforgettable H2O
>>> Börft (Ufo Mongo, Djuring Phonogram, Konduktör Rekords). Electronic, experimental, noise, synthpop etc. – Alvars orkester, En Halvkokt i Folie, Enhänta bödlar, Frak, Njurmännen
>>> C-Y Contemporary. Contemporary classical, EAM – Daniel Hjorth, Stefan Klaverdal, Benjamin Staern
>>> Caprice. EAM, contemporary classical etc. – Rolf Enström, Erik Mikael Karlsson
>>> Chamber Sound. Classical, contemporary classical, chamber music – Various
>>> Cold Meat Industry. Industrial, dark ambient, noise – Coph Nia, Desiderii Marginis, Heid, L.E.A.K., Raison d’être
>>> Compunctio. Indie, jazz, minimalism – Andreas Eklöf, David Åhlen
>>> Container Recordings and Publishing. Electronic dance music – Håkan Lidbo, Bobby Trafalgar, Martin Venetjoki
>>> Country & Eastern. Jazz, improvisation, folk – Bitter Funeral Beer Band, Iskra, Mats Öberg
>>> Daphne Records. Classical, contemporary classical – Daniel Börtz, André Chini, Eberhard Eyser, Dror Feiler, Rolf Martinsson, Albert Schnelzer
>>> dB Productions. Contemporary classical, some EAM – Mårten Falk, Love Mangs, Kent Olofsson, Stefan Östersjö
>>> Disorder. Improvisation, live-electronics – Andreas Axelsson, ExSurge, Lisa Ullén, Ulf Åkerhielm
>>> Djuring Phonogram (dist. by Börft records)
>>> Einnicken Records. Electronics, experimental, jazz – Daniel Carlsson, Johannes Rytzler, Joakim Simonsson, Stefan Wistrand, Per Åhlund
>>> Elektron Records. EAM – Thomas Bjelkeborn, Hanna Hartmann, Pär Johansson, Rune Lindblad, Paulina Sundin
>>> FANG BOMB. Experimental, noise, drone, improvisation, electronic – Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words, Wolfgang Müller, Ronnie Sundin
>>> Feed. Electronica – E. Falz, Krishve, Y-feeder
>>> Fin de Siècle. Dark ambient, italian B-movie music(!) – Diskrepant, Franco Micalizzi, Nora Orlandi
>>> Firework Edition Records. EAM, sound art, text-sound – Leif Elggren, Ingrid Engarås, Sten Hanson, Lise-Lotte Norelius, Johanna Rosenqvist, Rozenhall, Kent Tankred
>>> Flacon Recordings. Psychedelic – Coca-Cola 3, Timbrogolem. Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/flaconrecordings
>>> *for*sake recordings. Improvisation – Christian Munthe
>>> Found You Recordings. Improvisation, jazz – Fredrik Nordström, Sten Sandell, Joakim Simonsson, David Stackenäs
>>> Fylkingen Records. EAM, text-sound, improvisation etc. – Lars-Gunnar Bodin, Dan Fröberg, Åke Hodell, Jan Liljekvist, Mattias Petersson, Kent Tankred
>>> Hockey Rawk. Lo-fi – Mole Says Hi, Mopsiga Barn
>>> Holk-Records. Alternative, electronica, experimental – Brända Jordens Bönder, Daniel Karlsson/Jonatan Liljedahl, Petter Rapp, The Örjan Karlsson Project Band. Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/holkrecords
>>> HUHtapes. ? – Alix Lambert, Henrik Rylander
>>> HWEM. Drone, noise, improvisation, experimental – Militant Fields, Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words, We Were Dancing, Martin Herterich
>>> Häpna. Alternative, electronica – Johan Berthling, Andreas Berthling, Tomas Hallonsten, Anna Järvinen
>>> Hästen & Korset. Noise – Altar of Flies, Joachim Nordwall. Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/hastenochkorset
>>> Ideal. Electronic, drone, industrial, experimental – Dead Machines, BJ Nilsen, The Skull Defekts, Wolf Eyes
>>> Ingen Våg Kassetter. Drone, noise – Bordet, Fria Konstellationen, Time Deleters
>>> Intim Musik. Classical, some contemporary classical – Maurice Karkoff, Karin Rehnqvist
>>> Introvert Distortion. Noise – Jerker Brask, VA, Zerofication
>>> Jahr Null Aufnahmen. Live-electronics, improvisation – Andreas Backer, Daniel Karlsson
>>> Jedso. Pop/rock, improvisation – Phil durrant, Joe Williamson, David Stackenäs
>>> Järtecknet. Noise, industrial, power electronics – Blodvite, Niding, Ironpillar, Feberdröm
>>> ( ( k a s s e t t b o l a g e t ) ). Female artists on cassette-tapes – My Pet Goat, MAG
>>> Klorofyll Kassetter. Experimental, industrial, trance, punk etc. – Altar of Fles, Hanna Hirsch, Teeth
>>> KMPLX. Acid, breakcore, electronica etc. – Ett Litet Band, Oerfil, Sculpted Noise
>>> Kning Disk. Electronic, improvisation, sound art – Dan Fröberg, Martin Küchen, Christian Munthe, Henrik Rylander, David Stackenäs
>>> Komplott. EAM, electronica etc. – Hanna Hartmann, Andreas Bertilsson/Son of Clay, Hans Appelqvist
>>> Konduktör Rekords (dist. by Börft records)
>>> Kosmisk Väg. Progressive – Skeppet, Street Drinkers
>>> LJ Records. Jazz, improvisation, live-electronics – Christer Bothén, Ove Johansson, Susanna Lindeborg, Per Anders Nilsson, Sten Sandell
>>> Ljud & Bild Produktion. Noise, drone – Tommi Keränen, Macronympha, Incapacitants
>>> Lobotom. Electronic, electropop/-rock etc. – Sara Lunden
>>> Media Artes. EAM, contemporary classical – Anders Blomqvist, Victoria Borisova Ollas, Fredrik Ed, Reine Jönsson
>>> Meerkat Recordings. Dub, jungle, drum’n’bass, dubstep, breakcore, breaks – Bass Trolls, Ombudsman, Sidstar
>>> Memento Materia. All kinds of pop – electropop, futurepop etc. – Backlash, Code 64, Mesh, Sadman
>>> Mirakelmusik. Ambient, glitch, noise – Bluedark, d’incise, ps
>>> Nichan Records. Classical, EAM, electronica – Essyo, Marsel Nichan, Michel Nichan
>>> Nightzone Tapes. Noise, synth – Roland Horst, Sphynxs, Time Deleters. This label was formerly known as Kassettbolaget Svart Pyramid (KSP)
>>> Nisus. Text-sound etc. – Karl-Erik Tallmo
>>> Nosag. Contemporary classical, organ – Various
>>> Nyr. Ambient, improvisation, jazz – Memo cassette, Hans Nyman, Åkesson Jazz
>>> Närproducerat. New avantgarde music – Magnus Bunnskog, Adrian Knight, Sebastian Lakatos, Victor Lisinski. See Pink Pamphlet
>>> Olof Bright. Improvisation, avant rock, experimental – Olle Bonniér, Peter Brötzmann, Mats Gustafsson, Sven Åke Johansson, Jim O´Rourke
>>> Pink Pamphlet. New avantgarde music – Magnus Bunnskog, Adrian Knight, Sebastian Lakatos, Victor Lisinski. This label was formerly known as Närproducerat
>>> Phono Suecia. EAM, contemporary classical etc. – Lars-Gunnar Bodin, Sten Hanson, Bengt Hambraeus, Akos Rozmann
>>> Prototyp (dist. by Memento Materia). Industrial, EBM and harsh electro – Colony 5, Militant Cheerleaders on the Move, Thirteenth Exile
>>> Release the Bats Records. Drone, experimental, industrial, lo-fi, noise, punk – Altar Of Flies, Blessure Grave, Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words, The Skull Defekts, Tsukimono, Ättestupa
>>> Rev/Vega Rec.. Ambient, drone, noise – Fria Konstellationen, R.W.F., Pär Thörn. Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/revvegarec
>>> Reverse Alignment. Dark ambient – Avsky, Protoplasmic reversion. Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/reversealignment. This label has closed
>>> Rönnells/Håll tjäften. Text-sound, experimental – Jan Bark, Åke Hodell, Folke Rabe
>>> Segerhuva. Power electronics – Blod, Incapacitants, Mnem
>>> SEKT Records. EAM – George Kentros, Mattias Petersson
>>> SFZ Records. Contemporary classical, music for wind instruments – Martin Q Larsson, Mats Möller, Johannes Möller, Ivo Nilsson
>>> Slottet Records. Improvisation, electronic, folk – Johan Berthling, Mats Gustafsson, Jean-Louis Huhta, Santa Maria, David Stackenäs
>>> Slowbeat. EAM, electronica, ambient, noise, text-sound – Conny Skoog, Mikael Strömberg, Joakim Pirinen
>>> Sonoloco Records. Sound art, text-sound, EAM, improvisation – Sune Karlsson, Ingvar Loco Nordin, Jonna Sandell
>>> Styggelse. Noise, industrial, power electronics – Alfarmania, Blood Ov Thee Christ, Blådåre
>>> Treffpunkt. Improvisation, experimental rock, noise – Jacob Riis, Anders Lindsjö
>>> Two left hands on two right arms. Ambient, avantgarde, electroacoustic, industrial, dark ambient – SSH Visor, Olle Svensk, VA, Zerofication
>>> Ufo Mongo (dist. by Börft records)
>>> Umlaut Records. Poetry, improvisation – Joel Grip, David Stackenäs
>>> Utmarken. Lo-fi (?) – Nattens Bödlar, Viking Jews. Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/utmarken

Updated August 21, 2012