Released in 2001, this is an important archival recording of British experimental music. As a performance at the Legendary Roundhouse in 1969, this London venue was host some of the first performances of Pink Floyd and the U.K. debut of Blue Cheer. The Music Now Ensemble was far from the psychedic rock aesthetic as could be, as it was comprised of acclaimed U.K. free improvisation pioneers Amm, Activist, and revolutionary composer Cornelius Cardew, and unnamed members who later comprised the legendary Scratch Orchestra. A ...
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Released in 2001, this is an important archival recording of British experimental music. As a performance at the Legendary Roundhouse in 1969, this London venue was host some of the first performances of Pink Floyd and the U.K. debut of Blue Cheer. The Music Now Ensemble was far from the psychedic rock aesthetic as could be, as it was comprised of acclaimed U.K. free improvisation pioneers Amm, Activist, and revolutionary composer Cornelius Cardew, and unnamed members who later comprised the legendary Scratch Orchestra. A young Syd Barrett in the audience took many cues from Amm guitarist Keith Rowe, whose revolutionary use of the electric guitar mirrored that of John Cage's approach to the piano. Later in 1969, Barrett would use this flat guitar technique and attack his telecaster with a number of alien instruments, a "prepared instrument" technique that had its roots in mid-20th century classical music. Other than the prime movers -- Rowe, Eddie Prévost, Christopher Hobbs, and Cornelius Cardew -- it went undocumented as to who comprised the group on the day, an ad hoc assembly of avant-garde enthusiasts who were available and willing. Robert Ashley, Alvin Lucier, and La Monte Young all had their music performed in the same festival in May 1969, and this may give an indication of the style of music dealt with here, very extreme, very experimental music that is neither jazz nor modern classical, but draws from both genres. Silver Pyramid was a conceptual performance whereby a pyramid of cooking foil was used as an instructional score, how the performers chose to interpret that was equally as abstract, and such wacky ideas certainly a sign of the times. Now such strategies may be commonplace since the work of John Zorn and Anthony Braxton, but this record was clearly made available in 2001 to document the historical implications, if not the futuristic methods of music making. The sound quality is extraordinary considering that it is a restored field recording, and the group improvisation is not dissimilar to the earlier 1966 recordings of Amm, an abrasive and volatile noise world that would reverberate well into the late '90s in groups such as Borbetomagus, Voice Crack, and Sonic Youth. Released to compliment a revived interest in the music of Keith Rowe, as in 2001 he is still working with similar methods with his electronic improvising ensemble MIMEO, not to mention proving to be widely influential on artists from Pink Floyd, the Beatles of the White Album, through to the computer musicians and improvisors of the '90s. ~ Sylvie Harrison, Rovi
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