[CP 119 CD] Bengt Hambraeus; Concrète & Synthesizer Music

Creel-production of this 1976 “University press” LP - McGill in this case, where the C.I.Q. has taught since relocating to Canada in 1972 - covering Swedish composer Bengt Hambraeus’ - you guessed it - Musique Concrète & Synth-based compositions from the mid-70s.

The side-length “Tides” is a modular beep-gasm par excellence, rife with keening mid-range telemetry noises, dry Subotnick-esque pings & underwater synthesized gristle, it’s one of the more pertinent “Pure Electronic” pieces to come out of the Academic sector post-Moog. 

“Tornado” lives up to its implied connotations, its essentially 10 minutes of raw amplified electricity & clanging noises, constantly sliding in & out of temperament, and even the opening “Intrada” with its almost subliminal Concrète transformations of solo brass playing has it’s moments.

The placid “On the Beach” cover does little to connote the blistering analogue blurst contained within - once again, hats off to Mr. P.C. C.P. for rescuing this one from a mouldering record shop basement & placing it back into the limelight for some much-needed collective consciousness reentry.