November 25, 2010

Elektric Third Ear Band: "Raga of the Wind" (1991).


"Sonora" is been a very interesting magazine edited by Materiali Sonori during the '90's: interviews, essays, photos about "intelligent music", as the label defined it. With great musicians as Frank Zappa, Erik Satie, Michael Nyman, Philip Glass an obvious space was dedicated to the Third Ear Band, just in those days one of the groups produced by MaSo.

An exclusive aspect of the magazine was the CD included, with music of groups managed by the label and other underground bands. On issue 2, distributed at the beginning of 1991, on the CD was published "Raga of the Wind", recorded by the Elektric Third Ear Band - a new Glen Sweeney's project involved Mick Carter, Neil Black and old friend Barry Pilcher (from the Hydrogen Jukebox).

Pilcher and Sweeney in that period.
After "Magic Music", Glen intended to record a new album for Materiali Sonori with this line-up but then never happened and the new album (titled "Brain Waves" and published by MaSo in 1993) was recorded with Lyn Dobson in place of Pilcher.
This is the only one unrealised track officially recorded with that line-up (another track, "Song of Gaia" is still unrealised) - not one of my favourite ever, indeed - but an important document of that particular phase of TEB's history.

Original flyer made by Glen Sweeney
ABOUT THE TRACK
title: "Raga of the Wind" (5:55)
composed by Glen Sweeney
produced by Mick Carter
performed by:
Glen Sweeney - percussions, 
customised mrdangas
Mick Carter - Ibanez midi guitar
Neil Black - Zeta midi electric violin
Barry Pilcher - Yamaha WX7 midi wind synthesizer
recorded by Mick Carter at Alchemical Studios (London).

Now you can download  and listen to this track at:

Anyway, you can buy the magazine (in Italian/English, with the CD included) at: http://www.matson.it/html/specialeditions.asp

no©2010 Luca Ferrari

4 comments:

  1. Just back from a walk along the wild sea shore in the freezing wind & blinding sunshine; how perfect to be able to listen now to this music as I thaw out at home.

    Many, many thanks

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  2. Maybe not as good as the old stuff, but still magic and charming. It sounds a bit like an electric version of Air.
    Thanks once more.

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  3. why no release lot of fans out there/want to hear it/the full album/it's far to long/what's the reasons please/song of gaia/let the fan's have their day it's cutting edge shld be heard/barry the sax

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  4. You can listen to it on the reissue of "Brain Waves", I edited for Gonzo Multimedia in 2017 (published as HST455CD).

    ReplyDelete