Harold Budd - search and destroy

2020 isn’t done sucking just yet, I guess. A few jumbled initial thoughts:

1) As soon as I saw this news, I went not to the Eno collaborations — but The White Arcades, which conjures such a magical atmosphere. Even with cheap synths, the man was peerless.

2) The live version of Children on a Hill from 1982 that Milton turned me onto many moons (and melodies) ago might be my favorite thing by him — the subtle use of harmonizers here is really extraordinary, and even extended to 22 minutes, it reminds me that his voice and compositional style are criminally underappreciated.

3) The essay I did for Perhaps’ original issue is the only one-sheet I ever did – and it still gives me goosebumps when I remember Samadhi Sound’s press guy telling me Harold was “over the moon” when he read it.

I'll miss him.

I love Perhaps so much — is your one-sheet online anywhere?

Shockingly, it is: http://www.samadhisound.com/haroldbudd/news/harold_budd_perhaps.html

dammit I first read the ILE Covid thread and thought he was only infected... RIP

Fuck, I didn't realize it was COVID. That depresses me even more.

Saw this in the Variety obit (can't find the original link):

Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins, a frequent Budd collaborator, posted on Facebook: “Shared a lot with Harold since we were young, since he was sick, shared a lot with Harold for the last 35 years, period. Feeling empty, shattered lost and unprepared for this. … Rest in peace, poet of the piano.”

New to me: 'Live @ Redcat', unbelievably well engineered soundboard of his career spanning 'retirement' concert. Jon Gibson flew out to play. Focuses on chamber works so heads up to 'Pavillion' fans. Kinda doubt this one will remain unofficial for long. Download came with unscanned pdf of original program notes.

this recording, I take it? http://sassas.org/event/harold-budd/
sounds fantastic.

Wow, had never listened to Perhaps before. It is spectacular.

Listened all day at work:

Fenceless Night 1980-1998 (career-spanning promo pushing his music for film soundtracks)
Jane 12-21
The Pavilion of Dreams
Children on the Hill (Live in Chicago 1982)
Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror
In the Mist
La Bella Vista
The Pearl
The Serpent (In Quicksilver)

Tomorrow I think I'll do nothing but collaboration albums. So many to choose from: Robin Guthrie & Cocteau Twins, John Foxx, Clive Wright, Andy Partridge, Ruben Garcia/Daniel Lentz, Bill Nelson/Fila Brazillia, Zeitgeist, Hector Zazou.

Or I could just put the 3 track stretch "The Plateaux of Mirror/Above Chiangmai/An Arc of Doves" on repeat forever.

i am listening to the White Arcades at the moment

Oh no, I just found out that Jon Gibson died in October.

I saw the two of them in concert in the mid-'90s maybe--completely wonderful. He played an interpretation of Roxy Music "More Than This" which I would kill to hear again. Somebody should release some old live performances--the "Agua" live album is very good.

Great write-up for Perhaps, Naive Teen Idol, thanks for sharing. It's one of his finest imo.

3 track stretch "The Plateaux of Mirror/Above Chiangmai/An Arc of Doves" on repeat forever

since I bought it in 1980, in my first batch of Eno-related records, The Plateaux Of Mirror has continued to be my fave album of all time.

The White Arcades, which conjures such a magical atmosphere. Even with cheap synths, the man was peerless.

"The Kiss" in particular has always seemed like a peak track from someone whose music is so consistently strong that getting lost in whole albums is usually the best way to go.

His music, as I get older (& sentimental), is the most likely to bring me to tears.

RIP

Here's an older John Foxx interview about working with Harold Budd.

https://thequietus.com/articles/23241-john-foxx-track-by-track