Track Listing
DISC 1:
1. Four Violins (1964)
DISC 2:
1. Early Minimalism: April 1965
DISC 3:
1. Early Minimalism: May 1965
DISC 4:
1. Early Minimalism: June 1965 Pt. 1
2. Early Minimalism: June 1965 Pt. 2
| Details | | Contributing Artists: | Jim O'Rourke | | Producer: | Andreas Kallfetz, Tony Conrad | | Distributor: | Alternative Dis. Alliance | | Recording Type: | Studio | | Recording Mode: | Stereo | | SPAR Code: | n/a |
Album Notes
Disc 1 is an Enhanced CD which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. Also includes a 79-page booklet with rare photos and notes by Tony Conrad.
Personnel: Tony Conrad, Lutz Wernicke, Jim O'Rourke (electric violin); Elke Brauweiler (electric viola); Jan Tilman Shade, Alexandria Gelencser (electric cello); Matthias Bauer (electric contrabass).
Engineers: Tony Conrad, Hessischen Rundfunk, John McEntire.
Recorded at 56 Ludlow St. New York, New York on December 19, 1964;
707 E.V., Frankfurt, Germany on May 5, 1994; The Knitting Factory, New York, New York on October 1, 1995; and Tony Conrad's Livingston St. Studio, Buffalo, New York in August 1996.
This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.
From 1962 to 1965, electric violinist Tony Conrad, along with a pre-Velvet Underground John Cale and original Velvets drummer Angus MacLise, participated with composer La Monte Young, the self-styled father of Minimalism, and his wife Marian Zazeela in an ongoing musical collaboration called the Theatre Of Eternal Music. Together they created a peculiarly New York style of trance music, with Young sometimes blowing wild, abandoned soprano saxophone solos to rival John Coltrane's.
Young wouldn't release the performance tapes unless he received sole composer credit (which Conrad and Cale refused to give him). Consequently, all Conrad had to show for these years (besides his innovative soundtrack mix for Jack Smith's underground film classic Flaming Creatures) was a four-violin multi-track drone he did himself in 1964, which comprises Disc One of the four-disc box EARLY MINIMALISM. The remaining three discs represent recreations of the original Theatre Of Eternal Music's sound-world (minus saxophone and vocals) recorded at various venues in 1994. Spread out over more than 3 hours, it might sound like stark, unforgiving music, but Conrad has a way with an electric violin and each disc has its subtle pleasures.
Editorial Reviews
Included in Wire's 50 Records Of The Year [1998]
The Wire (01/01/1999)
...eschews melody in favor of ringing textures and rich timbres that develop through abrupt contrast rather than tuneful evolution.
Magnet (03/01/1998)
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