william basinski - is this the best ambient/drone stuff around or what?

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am0n, having only heard vols I & II I'd recommend the latter. Its "DLP3" is really haunting/captivating.

willem, Wednesday, 23 May 2007 07:30 (nineteen years ago)

i got all four. loving them. the second track on II is the shit, the comment upthread about SAW II #19 on repeat is apt

am0n, Monday, 28 May 2007 22:37 (nineteen years ago)

that would be loop 3. bliss.

willem, Tuesday, 29 May 2007 08:56 (nineteen years ago)

I suppose non-drone music is anthropomorphic, in that it has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Rich Smörgasbord, Tuesday, 29 May 2007 09:32 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

who among us is enjoying El Camino Real?

Tape loop, recorded live, Los Angeles, July 2006.
First 300 copies came numbered and signed.

Want (and want to have been there)

jergïns, Sunday, 15 July 2007 00:37 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah I could totally fall asleep listening to this.

ledge, Sunday, 15 July 2007 16:21 (eighteen years ago)

(I gave up on falling asleep to The Disintegration Loops 'cause they're a bit too melancholic.)

ledge, Sunday, 15 July 2007 16:27 (eighteen years ago)

word

am0n, Thursday, 26 July 2007 00:56 (eighteen years ago)

totally.

Drooone, Thursday, 26 July 2007 01:39 (eighteen years ago)

one month passes...

El Camino Real is some incredible stuff.

Noodle Vague, Friday, 14 September 2007 22:19 (eighteen years ago)

When did this come out? Info? Link?

If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Friday, 14 September 2007 22:35 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.mmlxii.com/home/home.html

May this year.

Noodle Vague, Friday, 14 September 2007 22:37 (eighteen years ago)

El Camino Real

jergïns, Friday, 14 September 2007 22:37 (eighteen years ago)

Gotta hear it. Was slightly disappointed with Shortwavemusic.

If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Friday, 14 September 2007 22:43 (eighteen years ago)

one year passes...

To answer the thread title question: fuck yes! That's why I'm absolutely psyched for this, out on april 20th:

http://www.mmlxii.com/NEW-ISSUES-2K9.gif

Gerard (Le Bateau Ivre), Thursday, 16 April 2009 18:26 (seventeen years ago)

And yes it is, indeed, fucking gorgeous. Is the love for Basinski really that marginal on ilm?

Gerard (Le Bateau Ivre), Thursday, 16 April 2009 23:35 (seventeen years ago)

No. I love the Disintegration Loops. There's a poll-thread devoted to those discs. If I remember that thread correctly, Ned is a big Basinski fan, too (but he hardly needs me to speak for him).

Daniel, Esq., Thursday, 16 April 2009 23:46 (seventeen years ago)

yeah i think that poll might be longer than this thread even!

i've loved most everything i've heard by him
disintegration loops
melancholia
silent night
el camino real

all A+

listen to it...put yourself in los angeles (winston), Thursday, 16 April 2009 23:52 (seventeen years ago)

He opened up for Antony last month. Great stuff.

Alex in SF, Thursday, 16 April 2009 23:52 (seventeen years ago)

I also really love the "River" double CD, I think Raster-Noton put it out. But it's all good.

― sleeve, Tuesday, 22 May 2007 22:56 (1 year ago)

sleeve, Friday, 17 April 2009 03:42 (seventeen years ago)

Ah, this guy.

I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Saturday, 25 April 2009 03:53 (seventeen years ago)

Anyone got or heard the new one?

krakow, Saturday, 25 April 2009 20:46 (seventeen years ago)

i have 92982, its v good

Dr. Phil, Saturday, 25 April 2009 20:47 (seventeen years ago)

What's the new one, Krakow?

I haven't listened to Basinski in a while, but I really like what I have of him. I've only one Disintegration Loop (no. III) cos it would have been very pricey to buy them all at the time. Does anyone know where to get the others reasonably cheaply? are they still available? some sort of box would be perfect.
I also really like Movement in Chrome Primitive and The River. I have a vinyl-only release, A Red Score in Tile which is similar in style to the Chrome Primitive stuff. Then I have Melancholia, and a split with Richard Chartier, to which have In't really given enough time.

There were a few other Musex releases, such as Water Music I and II -- has anyone heard them?

Duke, Saturday, 25 April 2009 21:39 (seventeen years ago)

erm... should read thread properly. So the new one is 92982. He says a shorter version of track 3 was included as variation #8 on A movement in chrome primitive, so I can imagine I'll like this one

Duke, Saturday, 25 April 2009 21:57 (seventeen years ago)

oh God please keep this thread going; I completely adore The Disintegration Loops (to the point of buying everything of Basinski's still available - my favorite so far is the River, although the new one is pretty good too) and I'm such a sucker for anything even evoking a comparison.

anyway in the meantime, I've been enjoying this:

http://deletedscenesforgottendreams.blogspot.com/2009/03/st-kilda-st-kilda-ep.html

as a sort of Cliff's Notes to the Disintegration Loops. v v v v v v pretty. I was happy to buy it.

jamescobo, Sunday, 26 April 2009 11:02 (seventeen years ago)

It started with the Disintegration Loops set for me as well, and have also bought everything still available. My possible favorite is El Camino Real, but he really hasn't made a mediocre record. 'The Garden of Brokenness´ is gorgeous as well. Hard to single one out, his whole output has been fantastic.
The new one sounds great, but I´ve yet to take the time to fully dive into it. I won´t be dissapointed though, I know that for a fact.

Gerard (Le Bateau Ivre), Sunday, 26 April 2009 11:13 (seventeen years ago)

I haven't listened to Basinski in a while, but I really like what I have of him. I've only one Disintegration Loop (no. III) cos it would have been very pricey to buy them all at the time. Does anyone know where to get the others reasonably cheaply?

eMusic.

Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 26 April 2009 11:23 (seventeen years ago)

How about in a physical (CD) format for less than $20 each?

I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Sunday, 26 April 2009 14:34 (seventeen years ago)

Thanks to this thread, I had to pull out "Disintegration Loops" and have been, um, looping dlp5 for half of the afternoon. So much for my day. Thanks you guys (=it was a beautiful day).

NoTimeBeforeTime, Sunday, 26 April 2009 16:57 (seventeen years ago)

@ilxor try this guy on eBay http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/TWO-HEADEDDOG__W0QQ_sidZ273089502?_nkw=basinski&submit=Search

I've bought from him several times and he's totally spot on ("an excellent seller A++++++" etc.). Usually has a few Basinksi titles in stock for the best prices I can find and could probably get others if asked.

krakow, Monday, 27 April 2009 22:21 (seventeen years ago)

seven months pass...

Another new one out now from Basinski. Not heard it yet, will wait for it to filter through to the usual channels, but here's the link and Basinski's write-up:

http://www.mmlxii.com/music/music.html

Vivian & Ondine
Catalog#: 2062.0902

Price: $20.00
CD 45:10. Release date: December 2009

"...I got back to work and found yet another lunchbox of ancient tape-loops to go through for possible inclusion in the new piece. I came across the main theme and thought...well, this is gorgeous; let's see if we can use this to coax Viv to come out. I went through the rest of them and found another dozen or so that mixed well used randomly, just under the threshold.

"The next night I performed the piece at Issue with their 16 channel hemispherical speaker system set to move the sounds randomly around the room as if waves in a pool. We all had a really good time. It was mesmerizing."

This version was recorded with microphones and two Norelco tape decks live in my studio in Los Angeles in one take in September 2008.

krakow, Friday, 4 December 2009 14:32 (sixteen years ago)

two months pass...

^sounds like a lot of his other work but that's not a bad thing. another dreamy single track, this one 45 minutes

ra (ramon cora), Thursday, 4 February 2010 00:11 (sixteen years ago)

just got the first one and it's woooow

dyao, Thursday, 4 February 2010 12:02 (sixteen years ago)

I'm excited to hear this!! I only have the four Disintegration Loops and I love all of them. I used to work at this all night cafe and around 4 the place would clear out and I would play these as I would mop and clean up. I miss jobs where I could play music late at night.

Jacob Sanders, Thursday, 4 February 2010 12:34 (sixteen years ago)

available on emusic, btw

Daniel, Esq., Thursday, 4 February 2010 12:37 (sixteen years ago)

holy shit that sounds like the best thing ever xp

dyao, Thursday, 4 February 2010 12:48 (sixteen years ago)

distingeration loops 1 is shifted heavily towards the right channel in the mix, right? really hard to listen to on headphones.

99. The Juggalo Teacher (dyao), Sunday, 7 February 2010 12:47 (sixteen years ago)

i don't think so, no

♖♕♖ (am0n), Sunday, 7 February 2010 18:19 (sixteen years ago)

hmm it definitely seems right-shifted to me, even in the iTunes samples. (NB I would buy it from eMusic but they won't let me join because I'm currently living out-of-the-states)

99. The Juggalo Teacher (dyao), Monday, 8 February 2010 00:49 (sixteen years ago)

i bought mine on Amazon Mp3 and it certainly sounds "right-shifted" to me

kshighway (ksh), Monday, 8 February 2010 00:50 (sixteen years ago)

yeah I guess fixing it in post would be against the spirit of the enterprise. really wish I could just put it on on headphones and zone out though...

99. The Juggalo Teacher (dyao), Monday, 8 February 2010 00:54 (sixteen years ago)

dyao technology

nsuomy (ramon cora), Monday, 8 February 2010 01:03 (sixteen years ago)

(mine's not right-shifted btw)

nsuomy (ramon cora), Monday, 8 February 2010 01:03 (sixteen years ago)

hee waaannnt it

99. The Juggalo Teacher (dyao), Monday, 8 February 2010 01:06 (sixteen years ago)

Achieved something akin to Distintegrating Loops here, using two reel to reel machines feeding back on one another. Rather than the tape itself degrading though it's the signal being obliterated by the analogue recording process. Something like this is what makes tape so exciting to work with, it seems like a natural process.

http://automating.bandcamp.com/track/soundoffsound

Department of Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification (S-), Monday, 8 February 2010 03:47 (sixteen years ago)

one year passes...

Available for download for one week:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/deceptivecadence/2011/09/07/140265002/remembering-september-11-a-live-concert-webcast-from-the-temple-of-dendur

Wasn't sure about the added drums to start with, but it's growing on me.

toby, Tuesday, 13 September 2011 10:35 (fourteen years ago)

yeah saw that linked on p'fork. will listen tonight when writing. drums?!

willem, Tuesday, 13 September 2011 10:36 (fourteen years ago)

download??

Stories from Hull City, Stories from Hull FC (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 13 September 2011 10:53 (fourteen years ago)

Just to the right of "hear this concert".

toby, Tuesday, 13 September 2011 10:54 (fourteen years ago)

haaa - this is my friend's kid and her girlfriend, I saw them front row at Basinski here a few months ago!

assert (matttkkkk), Thursday, 16 October 2025 00:53 (seven months ago)

No way! I just sent their label a fan email for thé this morning haha. Pass on my praise!

H.P, Thursday, 16 October 2025 01:08 (seven months ago)

wow i love this

budo jeru, Thursday, 16 October 2025 04:45 (seven months ago)

yeah this is great

sleeve, Thursday, 16 October 2025 15:04 (seven months ago)

Listened to a LOT of similar stuff in the late 00s/early 10s; this is really bringing the nostalgia. Also reminds me of The Caretaker and Celer. Love that abyssal sound, and the way it shifts and wobbles, like the vibrato of decay.

I would prefer not to. (Chinaski), Thursday, 16 October 2025 16:21 (seven months ago)

This is terrific!

Elvis Telecom, Friday, 17 October 2025 08:20 (seven months ago)

I've listened to it like 5 times now

some Zoviet France vibes occasionally as well

sleeve, Friday, 17 October 2025 18:25 (seven months ago)

three months pass...

Four Disintegration Loop CDs at $40 is both a dollar and pound bargain

https://www.temporaryresidence.com/products/trr300?variant=46129082106025

EsBeeKid (Whiney G. Weingarten), Monday, 26 January 2026 21:53 (four months ago)

four months pass...

update: Mr Basinski purchased the Plastic Magic Box album and thought it “lovely”

assert (matttkkkk), Tuesday, 26 May 2026 11:44 (two weeks ago)


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