Inside No. 9, Episode #13: Time is of no importance (everyone)
I thought I’d welcome the new year with a long and deep mix into the outer realms of sound. Why not start with three hours of blissful outsider thinking, beginning with a tiger purring and an orgasm and ending with the sinking of history’s most famous ship? Hold on Jack…
I wanted to pitch some of my favourite composers alongside some lesser recognised DIY noise-makers. I also wanted to share some of my favourite sounds of all time. Most of the music on here was spawned in the 1970s, but there are more recent sojourns that parallel this period of innovative creative expression. Some of the most dynamic sounds on this mix originate from artists in their 70s and 80s. There is music from all over the world, including New Zealand, the Philippines, France, and Argentina. This mix contains some very new music, including the second track – Senderos Abismales by Beatriz Ferreyra. This is one of the most forward-looking and exciting pieces of music I’ve ever heard and has already marked its spot on my AOTY list. It’s such a gift that Shelter Press has kept Editions Mego and its imprints alive.
Looking back at 2022, it was another very good year for music. It was a good year for me as a consumer of music, yet sadly of nothing else. Cut that, cut that, cut that – there has never been a bad year for music, you just have to know where to look – right? This mantra is especially relevant now as we have access to so much. No gatekeepers – but that can lead to trying to find needles in infinite haystacks. But I will endeavour to search and find gems for this show. Peering into 2023 I need to start investing in digital music. I am a keen collector of physical media – but with the cost of living crisis (UK), delays in vinyl production (everywhere), and the amount of non-recyclables involved, it seems hard to argue for physical items. Each of these episodes can set me back £100s. LPs are now hitting the £30+ mark and tapes are steadily creeping above £10. Plus there is something to be said about being able to up and leave without moving a literal ton of physical media. However, it’s wonderful to pick up a record; feel it in your hands, look at the artwork, read the liner notes, and listen with intent as each side plays. No shuffle, no skipping – hearing things as they’re meant to be heard. With the absence of live music in my life, physical media has been a lifeline. What to do?
Music like this has a real feel of immediacy and live magic. To recreate this I have channeled my love of deep listening here with one of the best tonal works of all time from Eliane Radigue. I have matched this tone later with an unappreciated masterwork from Geoff Mullen. Mullen’s Armory Radio should be in everyone’s collection. It is an exercise in subtle tonal shifts and light in noise, that evokes stark emotions in the listener. To counter that, smack in the middle is an incredibly ‘out-there’ composition by José Maceda. Strata is an ambitious work of grand vision and impeccable execution. I wish I could recreate Maceda’s Ugnayan, music for 20 radio stations (and many million players), but that would involve Imelda Macros and a time machine.
I’ve selected Crys Cole before but everything she does is magic and I had to put her on this. Also, Alvin Curran had to be included as he is a master of playful dissonance. Both artists speak to me in a similar way but from an ocean apart. The mix finishes on a classic that I was introduced to back when I was studying (2002); featured on an Aphex Twin remix CD. Gavin Bryars’ Sinking of the Titanic is such an emotional piece of work for me. The most recent release that has captured the sadness of this work is the incomparable Those Who Walk Away (2017) – The Infected Mass (which precedes the song). This record composed by Matthew Patton seems to have disappeared into an unclean dismissal due to its subject matter (recordings from airplanes crashing) – but it’s a stunning piece of work. This represents the sound of death after so much rigorous exploration of life. Reflecting on those subjects is key to living another year, especially when you’re hitting middle age like I am. It brings to mind Bill Viola’s best work. This mix is the birth and decay of sound dusted with heavy slabs of genius and magic. I hope 2023 brings many more records that can shine as bright as this nine.
Resolution One
Tiger Balm
Annea Lockwood
Tiger Balm LP on Black Truffle
1970
Resolution Two
Senderos Abismales
Beatriz Ferreyra
Senderos de luz y sombras LP on Recollection GRM
2023
Resolution Three
Vice – Versa, Etc Mix 2
Éliane Radigue
Vice – Versa, Etc LP on Alga Marghen
1970
Resolution Four
The time between two durations of sleep
Crys Cole
Other Meetings LP on Black Truffle
2022
Resolution Five
Strata
José Maceda
Drone and Melody CD on Tzadik
2007 (1988)
Resolution Six
Side A
Alvin Curran
Canti E Vedute Del Giardino Magnetico (Songs And Views From The Magnetic Garden) LP on Superior Viaduct
1975
Resolution Seven
Side A
Geoff Mullen
Armory Radio LP on Barge Recordings
2007
Resolution Eight
First Degraded Hymn
Those Who Walk Away
The Infected Mass LP on Constellation Records
2017
Resolution Nine
The Sinking Of The Titanic
Gavin Bryars
The Sinking Of The Titanic LP on Superior Viaduct
1975
Inside No. 9 is an attempt to share unique narratives through the mixing of 9 songs. Every episode will showcase a new theme, opening up new tributaries of discovery. Inside No. 9 is presented by Peter Taylor, a former features writer for Foxy Digitalis from back in the late 2000s. Peter is a visual artist and musician and has been creating music as MAbH since 2008.
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