Friday, 1 May 2020

Ruth White ‎– "Flowers Of Evil" (Limelight ‎– LS 86066) 1969


Unlike the tired world of Rock music, early Electronic music had a high percentage of Ladies fully involved in the innovations that have come to rule our lives. They have all now been replaced with machines,but are making a comeback,along with proper synthesizers with twisty knobs and patching leads.
There must be something about twiddling little knobs and pressing buttons that women are attracted to...Fnarr Fnarr!
This is one of the absolute classics of the genre....the made-up genre being "Early Female Electronica"....took me an new age to think that one up.
After a sucessful career making educational recordings through the fifties and sixties, she got her hands on a modular moog and went experimental, banging out three uber-weird albums between 1968 and 1971.Her electrifiying version of  Baudelaire's "Flowers Of Evil" being the creepiest of the trilogy.The version of "The Litanies Of satan" making Diamanda Galas's version sound like a Bjork dance remix.
Apparently she never set out to frighten the shit out of anybody,she was just demonstrating what her new equipment could do.
But, the finished item is one of the darkest electronic poetry records of the 20th century.This could easily be mistaken for a late era Coil album,but creepier.
Oh those lovely ladies and their electronic hobbies.....Nyak! Nyak!

Tracklist:

A1 The Clock 3:00
A2 Evening Harmony 4:02
A3 Lover's Wine 2:57
A4 Owls 2:45
A5 Mists And Rains 2:06
B1 The Irremediable 4:55
B2 The Cat 3:27
B3 Spleen 2:50
B4 The Litanies Of Satan 6:50


1 comment:

Andy R said...

Thanks for posting this, it's incredible. Never heard of her before. It reminds me of Chris Morris' Jam / Blue Jam introductions.