Album Review
Duncan, John – “First Recordings 1978-1985 ” – [Vinyl on Demand]
Max Level 1/29/2007 12-inch, A Library
Noise / performance artist Duncan re-issues some of his early cassette material, much of it originating on live radio broadcasts. It’s all quite intriguing to me now, as I was unaware of Duncan back in those days. I can see how much influence his work has had on many contemporary “noisicians”.
LP1: “Dark Market Broadcast” – Tokyo radio 1985. Two sizable masses of ugly corrosive noise, with vocal elements in a couple of places. Not total killer noise like MSBR or Masonna, but slow and excruciating. Side A is listed as seven pieces, and Side B as two pieces, but it all runs together, and who knows what’s where?
LP2: “Station Event” – Los Angeles radio 1978. The mix includes a couple of improvising musicians, neither listening to the other, and Duncan’s random phone interaction with listeners. Two side-long tracks; meandering in a low-energy way.
LP3: “No/Probe/Gain” – Side A is two pieces: “No” (Los Angeles radio 1978), at 21 minutes, it consists almost exclusively of Duncan breathing hard, moaning, and hyperventilating. Some talking toward the end. Might be interesting to try a music bed under it (?). “Probe” is a pulsing, electronic piece, about 3 minutes long, composed for a 1985 cassette compilation. Side B “Gain” is a side-long piece, similar to the material on LP1, i.e., an irritating noisescape with a few vocal interjections. Also from a 1985 cassette compilation.
Duncan’s work here isn’t exactly nightmarish, it’s more like having dreams that start to go very wrong.
Includes a DVD with 2 videos: a quietly tense 20-minute sound piece accompanies visually-obscured footage of a bondage-sex session, and a noisier 5-minute piece with visuals of clouds, sky, space, and, well, more sex. You can, of course, play the audio portions of these on the air if you’re so inclined.
you heard it 27 times on kfjc! most recently:
- 746 days ago, Whinger played No
- 855 days ago, Naysayer played Station Event - Part 1
- 855 days ago, Max Level played Station Event - Part 1
- 949 days ago, Whinger played Dance
- 2855 days ago, Max Level played Station Event - Part 2
12345 S. El Monte Road Los Altos Hills, California 94022
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