…I assert that music is a realistic art; that it teaches us, even in its highest and apparently most detached forms, something about the world; that musical grammar is a grammar of reality; that song transforms life.
Michael Butor from ‘Music, a Realistic Art’ in ‘Inventory’. Jonathan Cape, 1970.
Ryoji Ikeda. 11. iv. 15
Elliott Sharp with the London Sinfonietta…………… 12. iv. 15
Christian Marclay. 12. iv. 15
Christian Marclay. 12. iv. 15
Christian Marclay. 12. iv. 15
Sorting through some records last night (in the R and S sections) I was reminded that it is nearly April 12th and the 44th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s pioneering flight into space. I have posted the 45 of his transmission previously (here). The following is a fairly rapid selection of space-related tracks that I bumped into last night.
A ‘Melodica’ record of unknown date. The track is ‘To the Stars’ sung by Lyudmila Zykina with the Osipov Academic Russian Folk Orchestra conducted by Victor Dubrovsky. I have no idea of the content but am relying on the title for relevance.
The BBC Radiophonic workshop from 1976…with a remarkable sleeve designed by Andrew Prewett. Two tracks: ‘Space ship control room atmosphere’ and ‘Space ship interior atmosphere’.
The track is ‘The Rocket Man’ by the Spotnicks from Gothenburg, Sweden. The album was recorded in London on an unspecified date in 1962 between the hours of 2:30 in the afternoon and 7:30 the following morning. Thorough research on Wikipedia suggests that the tune is ‘based on the Soviet/Russian folk march “Polyushko-polye”‘. ‘The Rocket Man reached no. 38 in the UK charts.
Here is a film of the Spotnicks performing ‘The Rocket Man’
From the back cover of ‘Out-a Space; The Spotnicks in London’.
Daniel Carter
Steve Noble
John Edwards
Thurston Moore
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