Crosscurrents in Early Electronic Music of Norway

Episode 107

Crosscurrents in Early Electronic Music of Norway

Playlist

1. Arne Nordheim, “Epitaffio” (1963) for orchestra and tape from Nordheim, Alfred Janson, Bjørn Fongaard – Response: Electronic Music From Norway (1970 Limelight). Limelight release with the delightful painting of flying ears on the cover, includes the same tracks as the original Philips release from 1968 on the Prospective 21e Siècle label. The electronic sound material on the tape are taken from the end of the performance, but played during the opening section. It fuses the acoustic instruments and voices with electronics, filtering and speed changes. This recording is 10:15
2. Alfred Janson, “Canon” (1964) for chamber orchestra and tape from Nordheim, Alfred Janson, Bjørn Fongaard – Response: Electronic Music From Norway (1970 Limelight). Limelight release with the delightful painting of flying ears on the cover, includes the same tracks as the original Philips release from 1968 on the Prospective 21e Siècle label. In this piece, two tape recorders were used in performance. The first records for about four minutes and the, half a minute later, begins to play back what was recorded. The second tape recorder begins to record after the first tape machine ends, and then plays back what was recorded after another half minute, creating, in a sense, the structure of a canon. 12:27
3. Arne Nordheim, “Response I” (1966) for 2 percussion groups and tape from Nordheim, Alfred Janson, Bjørn Fongaard – Response: Electronic Music From Norway (1970 Limelight). Limelight release with the delightful painting of flying ears on the cover, includes the same tracks as the original Philips release from 1968 on the Prospective 21e Siècle label. Two percussionists respond to electronic sounds such as filtered white noise, sine waves and the filtered sounds of organ and metallic clanging distributed throughout the score. 18:09
4. Björn Fongaard, “Homo Sapiens” (1966) for magnetic tape from Poul Rovsing Olsen • Thorkell Sigurbjörnsson • Arne Mellnäs • Björn Fongaard – Nordiska Musikdagar 1968 Nordic Music Days Vol.3 (1969 His Master's Voice). Realized at the Norsk Riksringkastings studio, Oslo. 9:20
5. Bjørn Fongaard, “Galaxy” for 3 electric guitars in quarter-tones from Nordheim, Alfred Janson, Bjørn Fongaard – Response: Electronic Music From Norway (1970 Limelight). Limelight release with the delightful painting of flying ears on the cover, includes the same tracks as the original Philips release from 1968 on the Prospective 21e Siècle label. The electronic part makes use of audio filtering, changing tape speed, and editing to treat some unorthodoxed playing on the guitar. 12:05
6. Kåre Kolberg, “Keiserens Nye Slips - Electronic Music” from Kåre Kolberg – Contemporary Music From Norway (1980 Philips). A foray in computer composed music synthesis realized in the Electronic Music Studios in Stockholm using a PDP 15/40 computer; it was programmed in the EMS-1 computer language developed in the same studio. 9:54
7. Jan Bang, “Artificial Reeves” from from Narrative From The Subtropics (2013 Jazzland). Norwegian release of the Norweigian electronic musician and composer Jan Bang. Akai Sampler, MPC 3000 Sequencer, Dictaphone, Synthesizer, Jan Bang. 3:05
8. Jan Bang, “Funeral Voyage” from Narrative From The Subtropics (2013 Jazzland). Akai Sampler, MPC 3000 Sequencer, Dictaphone, Synthesizer, Jan Bang; Bass, Eivind Aarset; Guitar, Eivind Aarset; Synthesizer, Erik Honoré; Trumpet, Nils Petter Molvær. 5:26
9. Jan Bang, “Melee of Suitcases” from Narrative From The Subtropics (2013 Jazzland). Akai Sampler, MPC 3000 Sequencer, Dictaphone, Synthesizer, Jan Bang; Piano, Electronics, Dai Fujikura; Vocals, Sidsel Endresen. 4:03
10. Safariari, “Fetsild” from This Is The Cafe Superstar Beat Vol. 2 (2002 Café 2001 Records). Electronic music project of Jon Furuheim. 2:16
11. Remington Super 60, “RS60 And Milano In Space (Remix)” from This Is The Cafe Superstar Beat Vol. 2 (2002 Café 2001 Records). Electronic pop rock group, from Fredrikstad, Norway, founded late 1998. 6:07

Opening background music: Arne Nordheim, “Caliban's Warning” (excerpt) from The Tempest (Suite From The Ballet) (1980 Philips). An abrupt moment of electronic sound blended into the instrumentation. The electronic realization was done in the Studio Eksperymentalne, Warsaw, Poland. The Tempest was commissioned by the Schwetzinger Festival and first performed by Ballet Rambert at the Rokokotheater, Schwetzingen on 3. May 1979. 7:35

Opening and closing sequences voiced by Anne Benkovitz.

Additional opening, closing, and other incidental music by Thom Holmes.

See my companion blog that I write for the Bob Moog Foundation.

For additional notes, please see my blog, Noise and Notations.