Last Friday evening I went to see Einstein on the Beach, the hottest ticket in Ann Arbor du jour. A very big feather in the cap for UMS. I could hardly find my way among the throngs of people milling about in the cavernously cemented lobby.  A generous mix of older folks, funky treetowners and students.

They told us the house wasn’t going to open until 7:10 (the performance was supposed to begin at 7) due to the softly plodding snowstorm outside. I already knew I wasn’t going to stay for the entire 4.5 uninterrupted hours of performance. If I still lived in A2, I probably would have. But long drives are a bitch.

As we were led to our seats, a few members of the ensemble were seated onstage, singing 12, 123, 1234, 432, etc. It takes stamina (both vocal and cerebral) to sing Philip Glass live.  I know, because I sang 4 movements of North Star once. You sing the same note repeatedly, then move to a different pattern which bears repeating a certain number of times, etc. I felt for those singers.  I also wanted to be one of them, in a weird way.

One thing about Glass’ music, it allows the mind to drift.  And mine certainly did…mostly down memory lane. I noticed the stage floor’s marley covering, the glow in the dark spike tape, the skrim.

I really dug the Lori Anderson-esque spoken word bits. It’s folly to think her influence didn’t cut a swathe of some kind. This ditty was written and originally performed by Lucinda Childs (who is also Einstein’s choreographer):

I was in this prematurely air-conditioned supermarket
and there were all these aisles
and there were all these bathing caps that you could buy
which had these kind of Fourth of July plumes on them
they were red and yellow and blue
I wasn’t tempted to buy one
but I was reminded of the fact that I had been avoiding
the beach

I also really liked the Einstein figure sitting alone stage left of the pit, playing the violin. Glass’ musical tropes never sounded more rich or organic. Repetition. I wonder how much new stage technology was incorporated into this production? Repetition. Einstein as thought process, as living being.

It was nice to be part of history, part of the spectacle. I suspect a lot of the audience had no idea what they were in for, even the older seen-it-all-in-Ann-Arbor crowd. Some people left after 2 hours.  Glass’ music can be quite relentless at times. Also, 4.5 hours is a lot of time to ask of an audience when there isn’t any narrative really, just a lot of repeated motifs (seashell, clocks, trains).  I didn’t mind, because I could extrapolate bits of narrative from them. Time, movement, light, relativity, etc.

After the A2 ‘preview,’ the production is going on final a world tour with the original creative team.

This is about the things on the table
This one could be counting up
This one has been being very American
The scarf of where in black and white
If you see any of those baggy pants it was huge chuck the hills
If you know it was a violin to be answer the telephone and if
anyone asks you please it was trees 

1/18/12

Autechre, Foil, Amber, Waxtrax
B. Fleischmann, Pass By, Welcome Tourist, Morr
Benge, Faun Six, Meme Tunes, Expanding
Blevin Blecdom, xsxmas, Talon Slalom, Deluxe
DJ Cam, California Dreamin, Seven, Inflammable
Matmos, Regicide, The Civil War, Matador
Future of Sound of London, Lifeforms (path 2), Paths 1-7:Lifeforms, Astralwerks
Susumu Yokota, Flying Cat, Grinning Cat, Leaf
Alec Guiness, sweet spring is your*, A Personal Choice, RCA Victor
Chicks on Speed, Kaltes Klares Wasser, Will Save Us All, Chicks on Speed
Gold Panda, Same Dream China, Lucky Shiner, Ghostly
Vocokesh, Love Theme from El Topo, The Tenth Corner, Strange Attractors
Stephen Vitiello, 9 out of 10, Scratchy Marimba, Sulphur
Underworld, Kittens, Beaucoup Fish, V2
Experimental Audio Research, In the Cold Light of Day, Beyond the Pale, Big Cat
Labradford, El Lago, A Stable Reference, Kranky
Aphex Twin, Gwety Mernans, Drukqs, Warp
Philip Perkins, Byyrk, The Department of Strange Weather, S-R
Patrice Sciortino, Rythmoniric, Chronoradial, Omni
Jacqszek, Evening Strains to be Time’s Vast, Glimmer, Ghostly
Tetsu Inoue, Portable Noise, Fragment Dots, Tzadik

1/11/12

Philip Glass, Addulmajid, The “Heroes” Symphony, Point Music
Sigur Ros, E-Bow, Inni, XL
Tod Dockstader, Yaya, Aerial #2, Sub Rosa
Orchestra Peter Thomas, Moontown, Orion 2000, Omni
Neon Indian, The Blindside Kiss, Era Extrana, Static
Allen Ginsberg, Put Down Yr Cigarette Rag, Rags Ballads & Harmonium Songs, Locust
Z’ev, Nine Chambers, Rhythmajik, Small Voices
The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Meeting of the Spirits, The Inner Mounting Flame, Columbia
King Crimson, The Sheltering Sky, Discipline, WEA
Jonathan Halper, I Am A Hermit, Puce Moment (7″), Taniwha’s/Puck Productions
Pussy, Comets, Love Peace & Poetry – British Psychedelic Music, QDK
Raccoo-oo-oon, Untitled #6, S/T, Release The Bats
ZGA, God’s Plant, The End of an Epoch, ReR
EBN, Super Zen State (Power Chant No. 3), Telecommunication Breakdown, TVT
Spooky Attraction From a Distance, Konkommer Toebrooidjie, Sunflower Sutra, Staubgold
Fred Frith & Rene Lussier, Two Squares and Three Circles, Nous Autres, Les Disques Victo
Tyme x Tujiko, Vacation of God, Gyu, Editions Mego
Big Spider’s Back, Far Light, Memory Man, Circle into Square
Charles Dodge, Fades/Dissolves/Fizzles, A Retrospective 1977-2009, New World
AM & Shawn Lee, Jackie Blue, Celestial Electric, ESL
Koji Kondo, Lethal Lava Land, Super Mario 64

Black Sabbath, War Pigs, Live at Last…
Loka, The Sound Stars Make, Passing Places
Painkiller, Damage to the Mask, Collected Works-Disc Zero
Xex, Cops, Group: Xex
Cave, On the Rise, Neverendless
Swimsuit, Winter Water, S/T
Cake Like, Jane, Delicious
Blank Dogs, Slow Room!, Collected by Itself
Jeff and Jane Hudson, Mystery Chant, Flesh
Ty Segall, Fuzzy Cat, Singles 2007-2010
Carl Douglas and The Big Stampede, Crazy Feelings, Best of Strike Records
The Cambodian Space Project, Snaeha Doc Toekmom [Love You Honey], 2011: A Space Odyssey
Badawi, Enter The Heretic, The Heretic of Ether
Omar Souleyman, Wakhali, Hafalt Gharbia: The Western Concerts
Mehter Band of The Asker Muze, Genc Osman, Turkey: Traditional Songs and Music
Cinc, At the North of Canada, Osecev Siaj (Shine of Wot?)
Moondog & The London Philharmonic, Tout Suite no. 1 in F Major, Sax Pax for a Sax
Wendy Carlos, Brandenburg Concerto (3rd Movement), Switched on Bach
Vladimir Ussachevsky, Piece for Tape Recorder, Pioneers of Electronic Music
Bjork, Sacrifice, Biophilia
Tuxedo Moon, Loneliness, Half Mute/Room With A View
Casiokids, Dresinen, Aabenbaringen Over Aaskammen
Bombay Bicycle Club, Bad Timing, A Different Kind of Fix
Wet Hair, Cult Electric Annihilation, Dream
Lydia Kavina, Improvisation, Music From The Ether
Hammock, Parkers Chapel, Asleep in the Downlights
Psychic TV, Godstar, Allegory and Self
Kraftwerk, Neon Lights, The Man Machine
My Brightest Diamond, We Added It Up, All Things Will Unwind
Atlas Sound, Amplifiers, Parallax Sound

***ALBUMS***

Clams Casino – Instrumentals [type]

Demdike Stare – Tryptych [modern love]

Colin Stetson – New History Warfare 2: Judges [constellation]

The Caretaker – An Empty Bliss Beyond This World [historyalwaysfavoursthewinners]

what's ligeti got over me?

Oh, alright. This is the real cover.

The Dirtbombs – Party Store [in the red]

Noveller – Glacial Glow [weird forest/saffron]

Balam Acab – Wander/Wonder [tri angle]

Oneohtrix Point Never – Replica [mexican summer/software]

Moon Duo – Mazes [sacred bones]

Peaking Lights – 936 [not not fun]

Diva – The Glitter End [critical heights]

Juliana Barwick – The Magic Place [athsmatic kitty]

Zola Jesus – Conatus [sacred bones]

***REISSUES/COMPS***

Jürgen Müller – Science of the Sea [foxy digitalis]

Tom Cameron – Music to Wash Dishes By [creel pone]

Ruth White – Flowers of Evil [experimedia]

Autechre – EPs 1991-2002 [warp]

it's a pastel black.

Erkin Koray – Mechul: Singles & Rarities [sublime frequencies]

Felix Kubin – Bruder Luzifer [omni]

V/A – Bollywood Bloodbath [finders keepers]

It’s hard playing 2-3 minute songs whilst simultaneously training a new DJ. The recordings sometimes credited either the musician or the film director, never both. Some didn’t credit the films at all. Nearly everything I played came from a compilation, as opposed to the actual soundtrack. Seat of the pants radio.

12/21/11

Bollywood Breaks, In the Garden
Lata Mangeshkar and S.P. Balasubhramaniam, Didi Tera Devar Deewana
Bappi Lahiri, Meri Jaan
Madhuri Dixit and Birju Maharaj, Kaahe Chhed Mohe
Kalyanji Anandji, The Great Gambler
Bollywood Brass Band, Dum Dum Diga Diga
Asha Bhosle, Mera Jawani
Asha Bhosle, Piya Too Ab To Aaja
Lucky Ali, Ek Pal Ka Jeena
Kalyanji Anandji, Bombay 405 Miles
P. Susheela and S.P. Balasubrahamanyam, Gulaabi Puvu
Bappi Lahiri, Toote Khilone
Kishore Kumar, Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi
Kalyanji Anandji, Inspector Jay from Delhi
Bollywood Funk, I Love You
O.P. Nayyar, Kismat
Bappi Lahiri, Disco Title Music from Dahshat
Vdit Narayan and Alka Yagnik , Jaane Kyon
Kishore Kumar, Meresapnon Ki Rani
Kalyanji Anandji, The Good, The Bad & The Chutney
Lata Mangeshkar, Dhak, Dhak, Dhak
Sapan Jagmohan, Siskeyan
Usha Kanna, Jeena Hai To Jee Bhar Hanslo
Lata Mangeshkar, Sona Lai Ja Re
Kalyanji Shah, Satchidananda
Bollywood Brass Band, Dhoom Medley
Bollywood Funk, Dance Music from Harerama Hare Krishna
Asha Bhosle, Kati Patang
Mohammad rafi, Jan Pahechan Ho

Hairy!

12/14/11

Tricky, Vent, Pre-Millenium Tension, Island
Roy Rogers & Dale Evans, The Little Boy Who Couldn’t Find Christmas
Swords and Sandals, a3, Good & Plenty, Empty Cellar
Producers for Bob, Our Electric Paralysis, Hand Signals for the Blind, Time Again Productions
Clams Casino, Motivation, Instrumentals, Type
Dark Day, Window, Window, Dark Entries
Dntel, Suddenly is Sooner Than You Think, Life is Full of Possibilities, Subpop
Child’s View, Sabure’, Funfair, Bubble Core
Thurl Ravenscroft, You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
Blank Dogs, Blurred Tonight, Land and Fixed, Captured Tracks
Amir Elsaffar Two Rivers Ensemble, Journey to the Underworld, Inana, Pi
Peaking Lights, Birds of Paradise Dub Version, 936, Not Not Fun
Twin Sister, Luna’s Theme, In Heaven, Domino
Yamantaka, Hoshi Neko, Sonic Titan, Psychic Handshake
Loka, Temporary External, Passing Place, Ninja Tune
Nurse with Wound, The Golden Age of Telekinesis, The Surveillance Lounge, Dirtier
Kronos Quartet, John Zorn: Cat o’ Nine Tails (Tex Avery Directs the Marquis de Sade), Short Stories, Nonesuch

What I really want to talk about…

Lists are for suckers!

Alex is a fellow DJ and I didn’t know he was a musician until about a year ago!  Despite my penchant for the new and disturbing, I do enjoy some old timey jazz when it’s played well.  Next week my show will again be truncated for another live performance by  Wet Hair and Chrome Sparks. Facebook it here.

11/30/11 Playlist

Wet Hair, The Garden Room, In Vogue Spirit, De Stijl
Coil, Tainted Love, Panic ep, Wax Trax
Neutral, Hey Ash, Where Are We?, Neutral, Chromosome
Pierre Henry (William Orbit remix), Psyche Rock, Metamorphose, FFRR
Björk, Mutual Core, Biophilia, Nonesuch
Music From The Film, Animal Friends, District of Noise Vol. 4, Sonic Circuits
Kohwi, B2, Hidden Trees, Black Tent
Tujiko Noriko, Bikini, Hard Ni Sasete, Mego
Dan Deacon, sdahgsfdgh3frgha3wffhjdvbjs4uh, Meetle Mice, Carpark
Charanjit Singh, Raga Kalavati, Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat, Bombay Connection
John Barry, Into the Hole, The Black Hole OST, Buena Vista
Summer Camp, Done Forever, Welcom to Condale, Moshi Moshi
M83, Steve McQueen; Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, Mute
Pterodactyl, Nerds, Spills Out, Brah
3:33, 3, Live from the Grove, Parallel Thought

11/16/2011

Tracks inside [ ] were played simultaneously.

Ruth White, Flowers of Evil, Limelight
Sean McCann, The Flying Party, Experimedia label sampler
[Oren Ambarchi, Afternoon Tea 2, Afternoon Tea, Black Truffle
V/A, Soviet and Chinese propaganda songs]
Squarepusher, Port Rhombus, Big Loada, Warp
The Caretaker, I Feel as if I Might be Vanishing, An Empty Bliss Beyond This World, History Always Favors the Winners
ymusic; A Whistle, A Tune, A Macaroon; Beautiful Mechanical, New Amsterdam
Beaten by Them, Rigours of Madness, People Start Listening, Logicpole
Oneohtrix Point Never, Replica, Replica, Mexican Summer
Benoit Pioulard, The Loom Pedal, Temper, Kranky
Jamie Drouin, A Three Month Warm Up, A Three Month Warm Up, Dragon’s Eye
Seekae + Dome, Mingus, S/T, Rice is Nice
Tycho, Adrift, Dive, Ghostly Intl
Neon Indian, Hex Girlfriend, Era Extrana, Mom + Pop
DJ Me DJ You, Earth People, Rainbows and Robots, Emperor Norton
Datacide, Flowerhead, Flowerhead, Asphodel
Knotted Cord, Unseeing is Disbelieving, Polyphonic Beasts
Caveman, Vampirer, Coco Beware, Magic Man