Radio Eclectus #89: Compassionate noise music (June 10, 2021)

In this rowdy podcast we sample two new massive box sets from Anthony Braxton, one devoted to his uncompromising “ZIM music”, the other to jazz/pop standards. We also practice counting to Pamela Z and Tom Johnson’s new albums, bid farewell to Yoshi Wada & happy birthday to Mark-Anthony Turnage, and partake in a compelling early quintet by Per Nørgård that’s just been recorded for the first time. The haunting sound worlds of Mark Andre (via a scratchy Arditti Quartet), Anna von Hausswolff (playing a meantone-tuned pipe organ) & Robert Gross (via Dan Lippel and 16 synths) round out the gentle part of the program.

Then it’s on to our final hour, wherein we fulfill the stereotype of modern music as dissonant cacophony. We start with an epic loop piece made by Pierre Henry in his final year, then get progressively rougher with Dead Iverson & Mark Trayle before ending with newly-unearthed Merzbow tracks that document his mid-90s transition from edgy musique concrète to full-on noise music.