La Monte Young - The 'Black Record'

Here is a great companion piece to the recent Outside or Inside (the Dream Syndicate) posts.

The Black Record is actually entitled 31 VII 69 10:26 - 10:49 PM Munich from Map of 49's Dream: The Two Systems of Eleven Sets of Galactic Intervals Ornamental Lightyears Tracery; 23 VIII 64 2:50:45-3:11 AM the Volga Delta from Studies in The Bowed Disc. It is called more simply the Black Record after the album artwork done by La Monte’s wife Marian Zazeela.

La Monte Young is one of the founding members of the genre of musick called Minimalism (a term which he despises). He is one of the greatest innovators of 20th century composition. His influence is everywhere in the world of modern musick. Unfortunately he is for the most part unheard & unknown outside a small circle of musickians & musick lovers.

Young & Zazeela recorded their first full length album in Munich for Heiner Friedrich's Edition X label. Released as a limited edition of 2000, the first 98 were signed & dated by the artists. Side one is a section of “Map of 49's Dream”, performed by Young with sinewave drone & voice, with vocal accompaniment by Zazeela. Side two is an extract from “Study for the Bowed Disc” featuring the duo bowing a gong given to them by sculptor Robert Morris. Morris had made it for his dance piece “War” & asked Young to play it for the performance. Afterwards Morris presented the gong to Young, who began experimenting on it with double bass bows. Young recommended the listener turn the musick up (PLAY FUCKING LOUD), the resulting low drone being a spiritual tool. For the album artwork, Marian Zazeela embedded her calligraphic lettering & designs in black. The point is to focus on her artwork while concentrating on the vocal/sinewave drones of Young's dream music.

Year of Release: 1969
Label: Edition X
Genre: Avant-garde Minimalist

Tracklist:
Side 1 -
31 VII 69 10:26 - 10:49 PM Munich from Map of 49‘s Dream: The Two Systems of Eleven Sets of Galactic Intervals Ornamental Lightyears Tracery
Side 2 -
23 VIII 64 2:50:45 - 3:11 AM the Volga Delta from Studies in the Bowed Disc

Download: La Monte Young - Black Record
Download Size: 99MB at 320Kbps