Hardly Baked 2 - my drivel blog

Monday, September 25, 2023

RIP David McCallum

I have faint memories of watching The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as a kid and enjoying it.

But the bloggerati's real reason for a David McCallum RIP is K-punk's beloved Sapphire & Steel.

Which I never watched back at the time of its original showing, oddly - it would have been right up my street and I was the right age too.

Rereading Ghosts of My Life a year or two back spurred me to watch it finally. And it does live up to Mark's praise. Especially considering it was targeted at children, and made on a modest budget on a studio set, it's an eerie, unsettling, ideas-laden program, with excellently icy performances from McCallum and Joanna Lumley as the interdimensional agents assigned to deal with anomalies and glitchy rifts in timespace.

Now there is another branch of David McCallum's career that makes him blogworthy, or at least a curio fit for Hardly Baked - and that is his peak-of-stardom foray into being a recording artist.

McCallum released FOUR albums between 1966 and 1967! Mostly contemporary 'beat' numbers that had already been successful in the hit parade for their creators, here conducted by Mr. McCallum himself in an easy-listening but boppable mode fit to soundtrack those archetypal Sixties-movie scenes of people jiving in a nightclub.

It wasn't a complete folly or cash-in conceit - McCallum had studied at the Royal Academy of Music before deciding on acting as his true vocation. But his role seems to have been largely limited to conducting - the arrangements are by H.P. Barnum, who I think is the guy in the middle of the clinch in the big photo above. The other guy is Dave Axelrod, as in Electric Prunes producer and solo creator of concept albums. But apparently McCallum did write a few originals, including (I believe) the non-album single below.

My friend Paul Oldfield had this single "Communication" with its amusing period-piece voiceover from McCallum. It's a bit Austin Powers, dolly birds clustered round his motorbike and then he drives off like Mr. Cool.

Paul also pulled this LP out of a jumble sale or junkshop pile. I don't remember us deriving an immense amount of pleasure from it though. In some ways it files alongside another cover version oriented psychedelic easy-listening outfit that we found going cheap, The Rotary Connection.

He looks like a handsome seagull.

Don't know what impact these records had at the time.

But there was one lasting repercussion that counts as a kind of low-key musical legacy. You will recognise the intro here of "The Edge" as a famous sample to a famous song by a very famous producer - a tune still heard quite often on the radio here in Los Angeles.

The Cleaners from Venus pay tribute to David McCallum's most famous character - along with a host of other echt-Sixties names

Bonus bit on McCallum's deep musical background, borrowed from Wallace Wylie

"His father was David McCallum Sr.... was, at various times, the leader of the Scottish National Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He was also one of the violinists who played on the famous orchestral climax passage of A Day In The Life by The Beatles."

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Küpper joy overfloweth (musique de bouche et électro-poésie ) / DG AG boxed (unclever) / beak music

Spied via this new, sorta-tempting-yet-not box set of the Deutsche Grammophon Avant Garde series

As discussed here by Kyle Gann and Phil Freeman at the latter's Substack

Said box set economically reconstituted by cheapskate me here (if you've got a spare 17 hours)

Well, look I already have a few on vinyl!

And much of it, I don't really want, as it's that sort of orchestral but atonal 'n' anguished second-half 20th Century composition...

But the Léo Küpper , now that I would love to have in its original analogue form.

My first DG AG was actually one of my first musique concrete / avant-electronic vinyl purchases - just $4 from a street market in New York, near the end of the '90s.

Those were the days! When you could pick up bargains in this area, before Discogs ruined it but also before there was that much demand for the less-well known names

The Luigi Nono side is one of my faves by him.

The Roland Kayn side is good too - but generally I find that I can never get very far with his epic abstract dronescapes, they are too granular (similar response to Eliane Radigue), too extended (lots of double and triple albums.... and there was a 14 hour long reissue/first-time issue of just one vaaaaaast single work by Kayn (reviewed here by Geeta Dayal)

I also have this DG AG

And possibly another in the series - I'm not sure.

Love the design.

Probably I'd covet more the original era vinyl box set compendiums (there were several I think), as opposed to this new 21 CD (fucksake!) job.

But not really...

These box sets never work out as useable collations of music.

See, I have INA-GRM CD boxes of Bernard Parmegiani and Francois Bayle, but after the initial forced-march run-through of the entire contents in one gigantic go.... somehow it's never seemed tempting to reenter, it's never really felt like an opportune moment for the deep dive.

(Similar appetite loss induced by the Luc Ferrari and Pauline Oliveros boxes, which I have in non-solid form)

With Parmegiani and Bayle especially the sheer stupendous brilliance and intensely micro-detailed density is paradoxically off-putting. Like how could I possibly take in, absorb, digest, the immense concentration of work that went into these works? I'd need some kind of perceptual or cognitive upgrade of massive proportions.

I'd rather have the albums contained within these boxes separately, in their individual vinyl husks. More digestible, and more tangible, somehow.

Back to the Küppertronica

"Belgian composer and theoretician, born April 16, 1935 in Nidrum. He worked with Henri Pousseur at the first electronic music studio in Belgium, Apelac (1959-62), and is founder and director of the "Studio de Recherches et de Structurations Electroniques Auditives" in Brussels (1967). He created Sound Domes in Roma, Linz, Venezia and Avignon (1977-87). In thirty years, he composed around 35 pieces of electronic music, vocal and instrumental music, midi and computer music and wrote about his own research in the field of phonetic and vocal music, musical machines and psycho-acoustics (space perception and diffusion)."

Bit of beak music here

"Of the six works presented on this CD, five involve the human voice. Sung by Barbara Zanichelli, Anna Maria Kieffer, and Nicholas Isherwood, their microphone recordings were integrated into Kupper's digital computer sessions - hence the title Digital Voices. The remaining work is for the santur.

All the songs on this recording are abstract, which allows both composer and singer a certain artistic liberty. Kupper's stated goal in this recording of digital songs is "to encourage the internationalization of spirituality through a musical language that accepts both sung and instrumental world sonorities that can be mixed with electronic sounds derived from the voices of the singers."

More Beak Music - birdsong as "orchestral accompaniment"

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

ARkival corruption

I had assumed this astonishingly inaccurate guide to A.R. Kane uuuurv was an AI artifact but apparently there's a real human behind it (I noticed it because there's a quote attributed to me that isn't me).

The List of A.R. Kane Albums in Order

List of A.R. Kane Albums in Order

A.R. Kane, formed in 1986, was an influential British dream pop/shoegaze band that garnered a cult following throughout their career. Their music blended elements of psychedelia, electronic experimentation, and ethereal vocals to create a distinct sound. Here, we present to you a comprehensive list of A.R. Kane albums in chronological order:

1. 69 (1988) – Featuring their breakthrough single “When You’re Sad” and exploring their signature atmospheric style, this album established A.R. Kane as pioneers of the shoegaze genre.

2. i (1989) – The band further developed their sound with this album, incorporating more electronic elements and experimental production techniques. Notable tracks include “Baby Milk Snatcher” and “Anitina (The First Time I See She Dance).”

3. Lollita EP (1990) – This EP showcased a more stripped-down approach from A.R. Kane, with delicate guitar melodies and emotional lyrics.

4. “i” (Remixed) (1991) – A remix version of their second album, this release featured reimagined versions of their beloved songs, reinterpreted by various producers.

5. New Clear Child (1994) – This album marked a departure from their previous style, incorporating elements of trip hop and darker atmospheres. Tracks like “Girl in a Trenchcoat” and “Sperm Whale Trip Over” highlight their evolving sound.

6. “i” (Deluxe Edition) (2002) – A reissue of their second album, this edition included bonus tracks and previously unreleased material. It offered fans a chance to rediscover their classics.

7. American Everlake (2004) – In this album, A.R. Kane experimented with electronic textures, creating a mesmerizing sonic landscape. Notable tracks include “She’s Back” and “River Scene.”

8. New Clear Child/The Root (2015) – This compilation release merged their fourth album, “New Clear Child,” and their fifth album, “The Root.” Together, they showcased the diverse range of A.R. Kane’s musical talents.

9. Complete Singles Collection (2021) – A comprehensive collection of their singles, including rare and previously unreleased tracks. This compilation offered a comprehensive overview of A.R. Kane’s diverse discography.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What genre is A.R. Kane?

A.R. Kane is primarily known for their contributions to the shoegaze and dream pop genres. However, their music often incorporates elements of psychedelia, electronics, and experimentalism.

2. When did A.R. Kane form?

A.R. Kane formed in 1986 in London, United Kingdom.

3. What is A.R. Kane’s most popular album?

Their debut album, “69,” released in 1988, is often considered their most popular and influential work.

4. Who are some well-known bands influenced by A.R. Kane?

Bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and The Jesus and Mary Chain have acknowledged A.R. Kane as influential pioneers of the shoegaze genre.

5. Are there any notable quotes about A.R. Kane?

Simon Reynolds, a renowned music critic, once described A.R. Kane’s sound as “psychedelia for the late ’80s: droning, elastic, rife with allusion.”

6. Did A.R. Kane release any music videos?

Yes, A.R. Kane released several music videos for their singles, including “When You’re Sad,” “Lollita,” and “Baby Milk Snatcher.”

7. Are there any unreleased A.R. Kane albums?

While there may be unreleased material and demos, it is unclear if any full albums remain unreleased at this time.

8. What is the significance of A.R. Kane’s album, “i”?

The album “i” was a critical and commercial success for A.R. Kane. Its innovative production techniques and genre-defying sound influenced many future shoegaze and dream pop artists.

9. Are any A.R. Kane albums considered rare or collectible?

Certain versions or limited editions of A.R. Kane albums, especially early releases like “69,” can be highly sought after by collectors.

10. Did A.R. Kane have any notable collaborations?

A.R. Kane collaborated with numerous artists, including Colourbox, The Cocteau Twins, and David Byrne.

11. Why did A.R. Kane disband?

The band members, Rudy Tambala and Alex Ayuli, mutually decided to disband A.R. Kane in 1994 to pursue their own individual projects.

12. Has A.R. Kane reunited or performed live since their disbandment?

A.R. Kane reunited for some live performances, including a performance at the Primavera Sound festival in 2012 and various other shows between 2012 and 2016. However, they have since returned to their individual projects.

Monday, September 18, 2023

Time

Heard this great, unexpected mouth-music eruption

The title reminded me of this awesome song

Amazingly the Chamber Brothers did it more or less the same as the record when they played live - the weird dubby cowbell as clock tick-tock slowing right down starts about 2.24 here

Released as a short radio-friendly version in 1966, it was a flop.

But then a new, different kind of radio station came along - freeform FM progressive-music stations - and suddenly it was friendly. The long-hair deejays loved the longer version on the 1967 album.

In '68, it got released again as a single, almost twice as long as before (at 4.45) but still not the full-length journey to the center of your mind. That version got to be a #11 hit in America.

That long album version actually came from the extended freakouts they'd start doing live.

Before I ever heard the Chamber Bros, I knew this version first.