Popular Electronics - Early Dutch Electronic Music from Philips Research Laboratories 1956-1963 :: Basta :: 2004

Basta, pourtant déjà réputé pour la qualité de ses coffrets (Manathan Research...), nous gratifie ici de l'une de ses plus belles réalisations. Quatre CDs réunissant neuf albums vinyl sortis dans les années 50 et 60, chez Philips (Kain en Abel, Song of the Second Moon, Evolutionen, Electronic Movements, Contrasts, Mechanical Motions, Pianoforte, Intersection, Fanatasy in Orbit) ainsi que des inédits restaurés et remasterisés, le tout accompagné de 7 livrets pour un total de 180 pages et près de 4h00 de musique !

Mais que contient donc ce magnifique objet ? Tout bonnement les reliques des pionniers néerlandais de la musique électronique du Philips Research Laboratories, l'une des étapes d'importance dans l'histoire de la musique électronique, un témoignage sonore supplémentaire de ces années 50 et 60 où l'expérimentation était de rigueur ! Perturbées par les astres et leurs conquêtes, les sonorités de ces musiques électroniques sont aventureuses, surprenantes et variées. Cependant, sur certaines plages, la combinaison entre instruments traditionnels et effets électroniques ne fait pas toujours bon ménage...

Plus tard, avec le développement des synthétiseurs analogiques, Dick Raaijmakers, Tom Dissevelt, Henk Badings et tant d'autres donneront naissance à toute une ribambelle de joyeux lurons (pionniers à leur manière) de la space age pop : Jean-Jacques Perrey, Roger Roger, Mort Garson, Alwin Nikolais, Claude Denjean, Gershon Kingsley, Walter Sear, Bruce Haack, Hugo Montenegro, Mort Garson, les Zodiac Cosmic Sounds, Dick Hyman...

Au programme donc, l'ensemble des travaux électroniques de Kid Baltan (aka Dick Raaijmakers) et de Tom Dissevelt, des musiques de ballets de Henk Badings et certaines musiques de films de Dick Raaijmakers. Dans la série des archives de la maison Basta, attardez-vous également sur les compositions déroutantes de Raymond Scott et de son Manhattan Research Inc !

DISQUE 1

> Henk Badings: Kaïn en Abel ballet music 1956.
- First episode
1. Introduction / Dance / Dance of the Destructive Forces 3'44"
2. Conflict, Conclusion, Transition 2'35"
- Second episode
3. Passacaglia 2'13"
4. Arioso 2'19"
5. Conflict, Reprise (Arioso) 3'34"
6. Conflict, Finale 2'54"

7. Kid Baltan: Song of the Second Moon 1957 (version 2). 2'48"
8. Kid Baltan: Night Train Blues 1957. 3'31"
9. Kid Baltan: Colonel Bogey (Kenneth Alford) 1957. 2'59"

> Henk Badings: Evolutionen Ballet music, 1958.
10. Overture 2'17"
11. Air 2'25"
12. Ragtime 3'30"
13. Intermezzo 2'48"
14. Waltz 0'58"
15. Finale 1'37"

16. Tom Dissevelt: Whirling [US title: “Sonik Re-Entry”] 1958. 2'35"
17. Tom Dissevelt: Syncopation [US title: “Orbit Aurora”] 1958. 2'59"
18. Tom Dissevelt: Drifting [US title: “Moon Maid”] 1959. 3'11"
19. Tom Dissevelt: Vibration [US title: “The Visitor from Inner Space”] 1959. 3'09"

20. Kid baltan: Mechanical Motions [US title: The Ray Makers] 1960. 7'25"

21. Tom Dissevelt: Intersection [US title: Twilight Ozone] 1961. 5'30"

DISQUE 2

1. Dick Raaijmakers: Tweeklank [US title: Contrasts] 1959. 4'47"
2. Dick Raaijmakers: Pianoforte 1960. 4'58"

3. Henk Badings: Variations Électroniques “A light and frolic experiment in sound and movement” 1957. 9'58"

4. Dick Raaijmakers: Achter de Schermen 1960. 17'31" (previously unreleased)
5. Dick Raaijmakers: Fuel for the Future 1960. 12'14"
6. Dick Raaijmakers: Bekaert: het andere woord voor staaldraad 1966. 15'46"
7. Dick Raaijmakers: Ein Reiterstück 1966. 6'52"

DISQUE 3

> Tom Dissevelt: Fantasy in Orbit “An astronaut’s impressions while orbiting the earth” 1963
1. Ignition 3'23"
2. Atlantic 3'16"
3. Spearhead 2'50"
4. Zanzi 2'52"
5. Anchor Chains 2'47"
6. Tropicolour 3'57"
7. Gamelan 3'06"
8. Woomerangs 3'08"
9. Waltzing Mathilda (Cowan / Patterson) 1'52"
10. Pacific Dawn 3'49"
11. Gold and Lead 2'40"
12. Mexican Mirror 2'16"
13. Seconds to Eternity 3'40"
14. Re-Entry 3'12"

DISQUE 4

1. Kid Baltan: Song of the Second Moon (original version) 1957 3'06"

2. Tom Dissevelt: Syncopation (alternate version) 1958 3'10"
3. Tom Dissevelt: 12-tone Composition for The Skymasters (as used in Intersection) 1960 4'39"
4. Tom Dissevelt: Intersection (early version) 1960 6'45"
5. Tom Dissevelt: Tropicolours (from Fantasy in Orbit) (early version) 1963 3'27"
6. Tom Dissevelt: Waltzing Mathilda (comp. M. Cowan/A.B. Patterson) (from Fantasy in Orbit) (early version) 1963 2'22"
7. Tom Dissevelt: Quiz Tune for VARA Television 1958 0'30"

8. Dick Raaijmakers: Limburg’s National Anthem (comp. Henri Thijssen) 1960 0'21"
9. Dick Raaijmakers: Bell Tune 1963 0'30"
10. Dick Raaijmakers: Coppélia Tune 1964 0'22"
11. Dick Raaijmakers: Sign Tune 1964 0'34"
12–20. Dick Raaijmakers: STER Tunes 1966 aprox. 0'09" each

Acoustic illustrations
21. Sound examples — group 1 1'42"
22. Sound examples — group 2 2'30"
23. Sound examples — group 3 2'23"

Kid Baltan: sound material for“Song of the Second Moon” 1957
24. Tape loop with basic rhythm 0'24"
25. Tape loop with rhythm and bass pattern 0'56"
26. Arpeggio’s with echo 0'17"
27. Figure moving downwards, leading into whistle melody with echo 0'58"

28. Dick Raaijmakers: Electronic Boogie Woogie 1958/59 1'01"

Tom Dissevelt / Kid Baltan: (sound material for “Whirling” 1958)
29. Opening sequence 0'12"
30. First melody 0'22"
31. First melody transposed 0'17"
32. Chord of combined sounds 0'13"
33. Bass pattern 0'16"
34. Rhythm loop with bass pattern 0'20"
35. Variant 0'22"
36. Chord sequence with sine wave tones 0'16"
37. Second melody 0'17"
38. Arpeggio with echo 0'11"
39. Transposed piano chord sequence 0'16"
40. Same as above with overdub 0'17"
41. First melody, variant 0'16"
42. First melody, canonic setting 0'17"
43. First melody, canonic setting, different version 0'20"
44. Fast broken chord sequence 0'17"
45. Closing sequence with echo 0'18"
46. Chord of combined sounds, noise effect 0'14"
47. Reversed echoing piano chords, continuation 0'09"
48. Background texture for Quiz-Tune 1958 0'28"
49. Multi-layered laughter 1958 0'52"

Tom Dissevelt / Kid Baltan: (sound material for “Syncopation” 1958)
50. Basic melody 0'38"
51. Reversed chords, leading into melodic continuation 0'18"
52. Fast transposed piano chord sequence 0'18"
53. Second melody 0'19"
54. Bass pattern with rhythm loop 0'21"
55. Fast transposed piano chord sequence with echo 21"
56. Repeated figure with echo 0'11"
57. Short oscillator glissandi 0'10"
58. Second melody, electronically chopped, with echo 0'21"
59. Short oscillator glissandi with echo, leading into broken chord sequence 0'38"
60. Reversed chord sequence 0'19"
61. Closing chord sequence, leading into glissando upwards 0'11"
62. Broken chord sequence with echo and background 0'11"
63. Mixture of upward glissandi, leading into high electronic sound 0'12"
64. Sequence of three complex electronic glissandi chords with echo 0'10"

Tom Dissevelt / Kid Baltan: (sound material for “Drifting” 1959)
65. Space effect no.1 0'15"
66. Two alternating chords with echo 0'16"
67. Melody with electronic bell sounds 0'26"
68. Percussive chord sequence 1 0'31"
69. Bass pattern 0'29"
70. Chord sequence no.2 0'21"
71. Repeating tympani-like tone 0'24"
72. Repeating harp figure 0'34"
73. Bass pattern 0'14"
74. Retro-chord sequence 0'16"
75. Melody with amplitude modulation 0'17"
76. Bass pattern no. 3 0'23"
77. Space effect cross fading into alternating chords 0'27"
78. Sustained chord 0'19"
79. Repeating pentatonic figure 1 0'35"
80. Space effect no.2 (sine tone glissandi) 1'00"

Tom Dissevelt / Kid Baltan: (sound material for “Vibration” 1959)
81. Sequence no.1 0'12"
82. Sequence no.2 0'17"
83. Space effects with echo 0'23"
84. Optical siren (sound colour melody) 0'17"
85. Noise attacks 0'08"
86. Sequence no.3 0'09"
87. Sequence of chords with retros 0'15"
88. Sequence no.4 0'18"
89. Sequence no.5 0'09"
90. Rhythmic tape loop 0'21"
91. Chord with retro and amplitude modulation 0'09"
92. Metal sound with echo 0'09"
93. Bass pattern no.1 0'17"
94. Chord sequence cut-out sounds 0'09"
95. Bass pattern no.2 0'09"
96. Same pattern, high pitched 0'08"
97. Spoken letter from Fred Judd to Tom Dissevelt (August 25, 1966) 9'23"