V/A - Institute Of Sonology, Early Electronic Music 1959-69 [vinyl 2LP]

Early electronic music from 1959 to 1969 produced by the Institute of Sonology / Instituut voor sonologie, in Utrecht, Holland. Imagined with the great help of Konrad Boehmer.

BRAND NEW FORMS

These electronic works, composed between 1959 and 1969 at the Institute of Sonology by Dick Raaymakers, Frits Weiland, Ton Bruynel, Konrad Boehmer, Gottfried Michael Koenig and Rainer Riehn, are raw material similar to what Mego could release today. We need to reflect on this period - the revolution of the fifties and sixties - and understand that what was done then was elaborated without a base - ex nihilo - a music produced by machines designed to construct the new.

FROM THE PHILIPS PAVILLION TO THE INSTITUUT VOOR SONOLOGIE

Officially founded on September 1, 1960, at the instigation of several people representing cultural institutions, the institute of sonology, had already taken initiatives in the field of electroacoustic music since 1954. A large complex of studios (initially under the name STEM = STudio voor Electronische Muziek) was set up under the patronage of Utrecht university in an old house on Plompetorengracht in Utrecht University; and the instruments and tapes (among them, that of Varèse's "Electronic Poem") of Philips laboratories' (important to remember the mythic Philips Pavillion in the Brussels's fair in 1958).

NOTES ON 5 RADICAL COMPOSERS

DICK RAAIJMAKERS
(1930-2013)
Born in Maastricht. He studied piano at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. >From 1957 to 1960 he joined the Studio for Electronic music at Philips in Eindhoven.

FRITS WEILAND
Born in 1933, enjoyed a technical as well as a musical education. After working for the Dutch radio and television broadcasting system, he worked from 1961 to 1990 for the Institute for Sonology.

TON BRUYNEL
(1934-1999)
The realisation of 'Reflexen' took place at the Institute of Sonology and in the composer's private studio. Bruynèl has written numerous works for tape and for tape and live instrumentalist.

KONRAD BOEHMER
(1941-2014)
Born in Berlin. From 1959 to 1961 he studied composition under Gottfried Michael Koenig. In addition, he studied philosophy, sociology and music at the University of Cologne. >From 1961 to 1963, he worked in the electronic studio of the Cologne Radio (WDR) where one of his creations was 'Position' for tape, voice and orchestra.

GOTTFRIED MICHAEL KOENIG
Born in 1926 in Magdeburg. He studied church music in Braunschweig and composition in Detmold. From 1954 to 1963 he worked at the famous studio for electronic music of the West German Radio (WDR) in Cologne. From 1964 to 1984, he was the artistic director of the Institute of Sonology. Koenig is one of the pioneering composers of electronic and computer music of the first generation of post-WW2 composers.

RAINER RIEHN
(1941-2015)
Born in Danzig in 1941. In 1960, he studied composition under Johannes Aschenbrenner and then (until 1963) at the Robert-Schumann Conservatory in Dusseldorf. Until 1966 he studied music in Mainz, Zurich and Berlin. In 1965-66, he participated in courses on electronic music in Utrecht under the direction of G. M. Koenig

TRACK LISTING / 2LP

side 1
Dick Raaijmakers
Piano-forte / 1959-60 / 4'57 
Frits Weiland
Studie in lagen impulsen / 1961 / 4'50 
Ton Bruynel
Reflexen / 1961 / 4'36

side 2
Konrad Boehmer
Aspekt / 1965-67 / 15'14 

side 3
Gottfried Michael Koenig
Funktion orange / 1968 / 17'21  
Rainer Riehn
Chants de Maldoror first part/ 1965-69 / 5'52

side 4
Rainer Riehn
Chants de Maldoror second part / 1965-69 / 20'32