Inside No. 9, Episode #18: Different Shades of Blue
Somewhere in between the conscious and unconscious there lies frequencies of bliss, sounds of despair, and tremors of fear. Throughout this mix, I wanted to channel the strange and wonderful sounds that lurk in these cracks.
It’s hard to really pinpoint exactly what each alchemist is doing within the nine pieces that make up this episode. There is a deep appreciation for minimalism and maximum sound – which nods heavily to the Sunn O))) mantra of ‘maximum volume yields maximum results’. I’d slightly alter this to maximum fidelity yields maximum results as many of these movements are best listened to in a lossless format, which is why most of these are from original digital files. Those which I have on vinyl and cassette sound great through my hi-fi; but less great after transitioning to digital from the analog.
I had to edit this show with excerpts otherwise it would have been well over three hours long. It’s tough to edit pieces that are meant to have room to breathe, but I hope I captured the essence of each movement allowing you to explore in greater detail should you wish to.
I’m sure lots of you will be familiar with the works of artists like Kevin Drumm, Phill Niblock, and Eliane Radigue, but I wanted to showcase some more obscure, and or less talked about artists/releases; namely Carrier Band (featuring the well-known Pauline Oliveros, Andrew Deutsch, and Peer Bode), Ruth Anderson and Blood Music.
I first started this mix to give me a collection of calming music to read to, but soon got lost in more discordant and dizzying pieces of music. So much so that I recorded an album myself to itch that scratch of minimal drone to escape too. These pieces are often minimal and shift slowly exploring drone and ambient. Yet I wouldn’t describe this as an ambient mix. The music gets under the skin and demands your full attention, often burrowing its way into your skull like a sadistic shamanic earwig.
I hope this helps you travel to hidden realms and look under those rocks usually best left well alone.
Blue One
More Blood and Guts [excerpt]
Kevin Drumm
Imperial Distortion
DL self-released
2016 (2008)
Blue Two
Omnht [excerpt]
Eliane Radigue
Feedback Works 1969-19700
LP reissued on Alga Marghen
2022 (1970)
Blue Three
Phill Niblock [excerpt]
Harm
Touch Three
Triple CD on Touch
2006
Blue Four
Automatic Inscription Of Speech Melody [excerpt]
Carrier Band (Pauline Oliveros, Andrew Deutsch, and Peer Bode)
Automatic Inscription Of Speech Melody
CD on Institute For Electronic Arts
2000
Blue Five
Criss Cross [excerpt]
Alvin Lucier
Criss Cross / Hanover
LP on Black Truffle
2018
Blue Six
Phase II (2 2) [excerpt]
Elektro Nova
Electro Nova
LP on Smalltown Supersound
2022 (1999)
Blue Seven
Feed and Breed [excerpt]
Blood Music
For the Vagus Nerve
Tape on The Tapeworm
2022
Blue Eight
Work For Four Players And 90 Strings [excerpt]
Ellen Fullman
In the Sea
LP on Superior Viaduct
2020 (1988)
Blue Nine
Resolutions [excerpt]
Ruth Anderson
Tête-à-tête
LP on Ergot
2023 (1984)
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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