During my free time it is so satisfying to poke around the depths of the interwebs in search of music I’m unfamiliar with, and the interwebs always has a way of spitting out a bunch of weird musical whats-its back. I’m certainly not complaining, and what kind of person would I be to not share this bounty of the avant-garde with you?
So, here are some strange tracks for your entertainment:
Tom Dissevelt & Kid Baltan “Syncopation” (1958)
Shoutout to my dad for finding this one and for sharing it with me. This is believed to be the first acid-house track ever, before there was even a genre for it, and I’m baffled by how danceable it is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIDuZq7RVAM
Philip Glass “Knee Play 1” from the opera Einstein on the Beach (1975)
Normally I’m not fond of Philip Glass, but I’m liking this “opera” oddity.
Delia Derbyshire “Pot Au Feu” (1968)
Delia Derbyshire is another female musique concrète artist worth knowing. I stumbled upon her work during some Else Marie Pade music hunting a few months ago. (Fun fact: Delia composed the original Doctor Who theme song in the ‘60s!)
Robert Lucas de Pearsall (?) “Duetto Buffo di Due Gatti” (1825)
This piece of music is just very unusual for the time, especially as an operatic piece. It remains unclear who wrote this little ditty, but it’s hilarious and definitely worth checking out. Also, it’s cats, guys.
John Cage “4’33”” (1952)
I figured that this post is the perfect place to introduce a little avant-garde Cage for you guys. You may remember from my last post that I included “In a Landscape” and “13 Harmonies: Old North,” which are two very melodic, very classical pieces of Cage’s. Surprise! This isn’t that. As Cage says, “Everything is music,” and this piece puts that claim to the test.
Karlheinz Stockhausen “Bullfight” (1995-1997)
Stockhausen is a genius and everything, but I have no idea what the heck is going on here. At the end of the day, let’s just call it art.
Meredith Monk “Panda Chant II” (1984)
I actually sang this piece with my choir a year ago, and it’s a heck of a lot of fun to sing. It’s crazy. But I love it.
Warning: the choir looks awkward.
