Sunday, August 19, 2007

An Electric Storm - White Noise - 1968

White Noise, the brainchild of Delia Derbyshire and David Vorhaus, was one of the first all-electronic groups ever, and contempories of the equally legendary Silver Apples. Their first and only true LP was one of the emerging Island Records early album releases and one of their first alternative signings. Whatever Island honcho Chris Blackwell saw in the demos of the sublime Firebird and symphonically psychedelic Love Without Sound (both used on the record) we shall never know, but he stumped up the cash for the pair to go back to their Kaleidophon Studio, situated opposite London psychedelic center The RoundHouse. Derbyshire had set the ante for purely electronic pop with her seminal recording of the original Doctor Who theme. But White Noise, and their strange blend of the Medieval and Futuristic music was to become one of Island's early best sellers and a student favorite for decades. This album has always had a sort of legendary status when I was a young teenager, including a rumour that it had been withdrawn for being too scary!Well, the stand out track has to be The Visitation. It still has the power to send shivers down the spine. That is some achievement in an age of aural bombardment.I have owned the vinyl album for over 30 years and it still gets a regular hearing. The mark of a true work of genius and love. The first time I heard the "White Noise," album I was duly impressed. The studio effects, for the time (1968) were amazing. There are some wild songs, with twists and turns during the more structured song like selections, that really helt my attention, and tickled my imagination, and freaked me even during my everyday conscousness. Apparently, the LP had been a labor of love, or some obsession like love, built up almost note by note, over the period of a year or more. Talk about ambient electronics....for that sound alone, you could mine this piece of art for years. As for early Pink Floyd, for comparison, it sounds far beyond what they were doing at the time. The legend behind the LP is interesting. Chris Blackwell, AKA Island Records, gave the electronic wizard behind this LP, about 3000 dollars, to make the album. After a YEAR, Blackwell wanted product, and when he had seen they only had 30 minutes of this mind labrynth recorded, he demanded a finished album, in a matter of days. So, that is what spawned the most frightening, scary, psychedelic, holographic, kaleidoscopic song of all time---Black Mass (Electric Storm in Hell). Unlike many of the other songs, after the invocation to something dark and obscure, the 7 minute track is just instrumental. (Altho you might experience it as lasting far far longer. You know how time dialates, as you approach the speed of light.) I can't describe what you hear, though much of it is percussion and freak out screaming, with electronic effects, layers up, and spinning between the speakers. What you REALLY hear, the title best sums up. Now, its not Black Sabbath freaky, or heavy metal kiddy music. The title Black Mass, is just part of the scare tactics. This is a song, that would give anyone the creeps, if you just LISTEN to it. But, if the planets are lined up just right, and the incense is just right, the setting just right, and the brain is vibrating in open mode, then you are going to be sent into total brain fry freak land. Somehow, its encoded into the music, and I find that incredible. Its just frightening, for some reason. Even with the sophistication of modern 48 channel digital mixing boards, computer controlled volumn sliders, preprogrammed multi-channel panning, 5.1 sound coming at you from all around, nothing Ive heard approaches the incredible sound found on this song. (and the whole album, really.) Sometimes, having everything available for you, at the touch of a button, provided you have this months computer, and this months program running in it, limits you more, than the creative push you get, from using limited technology, to produce something 20-30 years ahead of its time. After all, even with all the technology we have today, right now we dont have the technology to fly back to the moon, or produce another Sgt. Pepper. So, who would like this album? I would say, if you are into some of Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, freaky Krautrock (Brainticket's 1st LP), Capt. Beefheart, early Velvet Underground, Lydia Lunchs 13.13, the best of Mercury Rev, or Camper Van Beethoven. So much of the way music works you over, is personal, and subjective. However, when you start to read, or hear, many of the same descriptions given to certain LPS, or people freak out to the same LPs, then you might want to investigate. If you can't take it, go pull out your ABBA Lps, and hug a stuffed animal. PS--HIGHLY PSYCHEDELIC. Mixing this music with other psychedelic substances can be dangerous, even deadly. Headphones may increase this effect dramatically. Do not listen while operating machinery, driving UFOs, or attempting to chew gum. ISLAND RECORDS not responsible for any mental meltdowns from listening to this album. Listen at your own risk. (RISK IT!)
A1 Love Without Sound 2:57
A2 My Game of Loving 3:38
A3 Here Come the Fleas 2:31
A4 Firebird 2:43
A5 Your Hidden Arms 4:25
B1 The Visitation 11:45
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