v/a "Sound Sculptures" (1985) Wergo gatefold 2LP insane genre-exploding

$

41

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Comments:  Gatefold cover is vg+, with 2.5" seam spits up top (both seams) and some minor termite damage at the bottom seams (a long story); spine is intact.  The four sides of vinyl are vg+/vg+/vg++/vg++.  Specifically, all sides have some very very light scuffs/scratches (they look like needle scratches) that are occasionally audible.  If this were an ordinary LP, you'd likely never notice the surface noise but some of the pieces here are very quiet indeed so the surface noise can occasionally be louder than, e.g., some guys fingertip stroking a metal coil ten feet from the microphone.  On the other hand, the 95% of the album that plays clean or at supra-whisper volumes sounds fking incredible!

This 2LP compilation  was sequenced so perfectly by Klaus Stahmer that, pretty much immediately upon its release, it became an instant classic in minimalism, in electroacoustic improvisation/composition, and in avant garde recording generally.  For some bizarre reason it's never been reissued on vinyl or CD.  Rights problems, perhaps?

"Published by Wergo in 1985, Sound Sculptures is a gorgeous, state-of-the-art overview of Austria and West Germany’s instrument builders and sculptors curated by composer and music critic Klaus Hinrich Stahmer. A German equivalent to Bart Hopkins’ Experimental Musical Instruments compilation CDs, though the concept here being that composers/interprets will use someone else’s sculpture or sound construction to create their soundwork. The title’s double-entendre is perfectly maintained throughout the album: sound producing actual sculptures and soundcrafting as an artform. Particularly striking is the variety of sonorities emited, from angklung-like metallophones to interactive electronic sensors, from industrial bleak soundscapes to subtle microtonal nuances, from improvised free music to drone-a-thon. This is rather un-classifiable music only occasionaly sounding like Stockhausen or Boulez solo percussion pieces. Apart from the sculptures, additionnal instruments include: strings, bowed metals, metal chimes, saxophone, sea shells, wood, processed vocals, voice, electronic effetcs, etc. While some composers/improvisors are instrument builders themselves, like Hans-Karsten Raecke, others are avantgarde music composers, like Greek-born Austrian Anestis Logothetis (1921-1994), whose enchanting and nuanced minimal music – one of the highlights of the set – blends electronic and acoustic sounds, and have a visual dimension often based on graphic scores. Wilfried Jentzsch studied with Xenakis in Paris (1976-1981) and is now an electroacoustic music composer living in Dresden. His piece Lithophonie is based on electronically processed sounds from a stone sculpture, with a decidedly stochastic touch in its clouds of high pitched notes. Herbert Försch-Tenge‘s Tri-Cello II sounds like a Zoviet-France live recording, complete with bass string instrument hit with mallet, ethnic flute and long reverb effect. Too many good tracks here to mention, but this is a major addition to the sound art pantheon that can even help widen the definition of it."  --  Continuo website

Lots of other unusual, psych, experimental, electronic, avant, folk, weird stuff in this weeks auctions and thousands more on the way from the same exploding stash of a long-time freak/collector.  Add us to your list of favorite sellers so you don't miss our next listing!

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