Episode 120
Crosscurrents in Early Electronic Music of Canada, Part 1
Playlist

 


Track Time


Start Time


Opening and Introduction (Thom Holmes)


10:36


00:00


1.    Hugh LeCaine, “Dripsody: An Etude For Variable Speed Recorder” (1955) from Anthologie De La Musique Canadienne / Anthology Of Canadian Music - Musique Électroacoustique; Electroacoustic Music (1990 Radio Canada International). One of the earliest pieces of tape music by the inventor and composer Hugh Le Caine. Also, one of the most available works from the early years when it was used to demonstrate simple techniques of tape composition. It is probably the most-played work of electronic music other than “Poeme Electronique” by Varese. Every sound in this work is based on a recording of of a single drop of water falling into a bucket, which then underwent various speed adjustments and edits to create this composition. I chose a recording from a CD compilation spanning the first 45 years of electroacoustic music in Canada. The original version of Dripsody was monophonic. Le Caine produced this stereophonic version in 1967 for Folkways records.


2:12


10:36


2.    Maurice Blackburn / Norman McLaren, “Blinkity Blank” (1955) from Anthologie De La Musique Canadienne / Anthology Of Canadian Music - Musique Électroacoustique; Electroacoustic Music (1990 Radio Canada International). Another early work of tape music from Canada, produced around the same time as “Dripsody.” As a member of the National Film Board of Canada, Blackburn created this soundtrack with Norman McLaren by hand drawing on the optical soundtrack of a short film.


5:07


12:36


3.    Hugh LeCaine, “Ninety-Nine Generators” (1956) from Pioneer In Electronic Music Instrument Design: Compositions And Demonstrations 1948-1972 (1985 JWD Music). The title refers to the 99 tones of the touch sensitive organ. Each note had a separate generator and they could all sounds at the same time.


1:42


17:34


4.    Hugh LeCaine, “Arcane Presents Lulu” (1956) from Pioneer In Electronic Music Instrument Design: Compositions And Demonstrations 1948-1972 (1985 JWD Music). Le Caine composed this using his Special Purpose Tape Recorder using individual tape playback heads for six tapes, activated by keys.


1:50


19:14


5.    Hugh LeCaine, “This Thing Called Key” (1956) from Pioneer In Electronic Music Instrument Design: Compositions And Demonstrations 1948-1972 (1985 JWD Music). Le Caine composed this using his Special Purpose Tape Recorder using individual tape playback heads for six tapes, activated by keys.


1:53


21:04


6.    Hugh LeCaine, “Invocation” (1957) from Pioneer In Electronic Music Instrument Design: Compositions And Demonstrations 1948-1972 (1985 JWD Music). Le Caine composed this using his Special Purpose Tape Recorder using individual tape playback heads for six tapes, activated by keys.


2:21


22:56


7.    Anhalt, “Electronic Composition No. 2” (1959) from Electronic Composition No. 2 ("Sine Nomine II") (1985 Radio Canada International).


8:47


25:18


8.    Hugh LeCaine, “Nocturne” (1957) from Pioneer In Electronic Music Instrument Design: Compositions And Demonstrations 1948-1972 (1985 JWD Music). This piece was played on a conductive keyboard using printed circuit keys (designed by Rene Farley) and tape delay. Notes are sounded by the pressing of a finger on the conductive surface of the keys.


3:08


34:04


9.    Norma Beecroft, “From Dreams of Brass” (1964) from Music And Musicians Of Canada Centennial Edition Vol. II / Musique Et Musiciens Du Canada Edition Du Centenaire Vol. II (1967 CBC Radio Canada). Norma Beecroft is a Canadian composer, producer, broadcaster, and arts administrator. Among the pioneering academic electronic music composers, she worked independently in the Electronic Music Studio of the University of Toronto. As a professional composer, she was one of the first non-students to be able to experiment in the new facility. There she focused on multitrack record