Saturday 27 June 2020

Tom Dissevelt & Kid Baltan ‎– "The Fascinating World Of Electronic Music" (Philips ‎– P 08168) 1959


Fascinating isn't it?......what do you mean 'what!'???, The world of Electronic Music of course!?
This is the Dutch 'The In Sound From Way Out',but done seven years before Perrey and KIngsley's batchelor pad classic in the USA. This never made it into the Space-age Batchelor pads of America of course,only being released in such weird nowheres-ville places as Argentina, the Netherlands,and Mexico!?
It's not quite as silly as Perrey and Kingsley's work in the mid to late sixties, but I'm sure a copy of this may have found its way into their sweaty palms at some stage in the process....even the cover art bares some similarity to the In-Sound from not so way out,Holland in fact.
Its also Fascinating, how the technology of any age is used mainly for our own titilation and entertainment rather than helping anyone;like the internet, far from being an information superhighway,and bringing everyone together in harmonious peace,its used for masturbation,gossip,propaganda,getting laid by strangers and stealing,...oops...I mean sharing, free records.......Fuck peace man!
I know what you're all asking,"Who is this cool sounding Kid Baltan?".
Rule one is, always reverse the words when deciphering an alias.
So we are left with Dik Natlab, which is none other than Dick Raaijmakers......satisfied now with your endless questions?....No?.....Who's he?.....?
Dick Raaijmakers,is a Dutch early electronic composer,who worked for 'Nat Lab' (Baltan),(Natuurkundig Laboratorium ,laboratory for physics),.....you dig?
The enigmatic 'Kid Baltan......somehow not as I imagined him!?
So, Kid Baltan, got together with fellow Dutchman, Jazzer and experimental composer, Tom Dissevelt (real name), and made these weird musique concrete pieces for 'Phillips' in the 'Natlab' ,which was created by Phillips in order to develop new ways in music on a scientific basis. 
Again, these tunes would be perfect for some East European animation, but instead, like the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, the company didn't give enough credit to Tom and Dick, so Tom left the Natlab to Dick in 1963.
I also noticed that Perrey and Kingsley called their studio the "Stereo Lab"......inspired from the Nat Lab by any chance?...also strange because most of these things were in Mono.....'Mono Lab' anyone?
Originally credited as being by "The Elektrosoniks",this,nestling between The Incredible String Band and The Velvet Underground, was cited as one of David Bowies all-time top 25 albums!?


Tracklist:

1 Syncopation 2:49
2 Intersection 3:12
3 Drifting 7:22
4 Vibration 3:07
5 Song Of The Second Moon 2:35
6 Whirling 3:00
7 Mechanical Motions 5:25
8 Pianoforte 5:05


5 comments:

northfieldhat said...

That tie is gonna get caught in the tape reel and he'll
go all Isadora Duncan on us.

northfieldhat said...

Also your comment about the use of technology is sadly
the actuality. Someone said, "The internet wasn't for the rank and file of we commoners, it was carefully constructed by a temp of important scientists so they could send each other pictures of cats."

Jonny Zchivago said...

Yeah, Health and saftey laws wouldn't allow this music today.You may have noticed a marked absence of reel-to-Reel tape players in the modern world of the performing arts.....thank health and safety officials for that sad truth.

Andrew Joron said...

And let's not forget this duo's other album "Song of the Second Moon":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8MP0W63jIY

Philip Johnson said...

I suppose you know the Boris Karloff "Tales Of The Frightened" albums that put Karloff's voice over bits of this and I think other Tom Dissevelt recordings?