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The latest issue of Electronic Sound celebrates the fascinating world of TAPE MUSIC and we are combining the magazine with a CD featuring two early and lengthy tape loop tracks by the pioneering American composer STEVE REICH.
It's almost 100 years since the invention of magnetic audio tape revolutionised the way that sound was recorded, but the focus of this month's cover story is how it subsequently became an unexpected tool in the creative process. Step forward visionary figures such as PIERRE SCHAEFFER, DELIA DERBYSHIRE and STEVE REICH, whose work with strips of tape – cutting, splicing, stretching, manipulating, duplicating, looping – spawned a totally new form of music. And alongside our in-depth history, we've selected 20 classic releases and 30 of today's coolest loopers for your delectation and delight. WILLIAM BASINSKI, OPEN REEL ENSEMBLE, RACHAEL FINNEY, CATE BROOKS and HOWLROUND are among those on the loopy list.
We have a very special release to accompany the magazine. Issued in a gatefold sleeve, 'TAPE PIECES' is an exclusive CD from STEVE REICH, featuring two groundbreaking early loop tracks by the acclaimed composer. With a total running time of around 30 minutes, 'Come Out' and 'It's Gonna Rain' both date from the mid-1960s and are built from two short voice recordings, one of a man beaten by police officers and the other of a street preacher. For each piece, two identical loops were played together, seemingly in perfect synchronisation, but a tiny difference in the speed of the tapes mean they slowly slip out of alignment. The melodic and rhythmic patterns that emerge as the loops drift further apart are quite extraordinary.
"You're not an inactive listener," said Brian Eno about 'It's Gonna Rain' in an interview with The Times last year. "All of Reich's work, I think, depends upon making your brain perform and watch itself performing in a certain way. I suddenly realised, 'The composer is not just Steve Reich, it's Reich and my brain making this composition what it is'."
As with all our magazine-linked music releases, this CD is only available to readers of Electronic Sound, so make sure you grab your copy right away.