Wendy Carlos

Really? I bought this on vinyl the other day, gave it a listen, and dumped it. Hated it. And I'm a huge fan of her music. I found it .... meandering.

 

Wasn't that kind of the point of it, though?

 

That one is basically "Wendy does ambient music".
Only that ambient as a genre didn't exist yet in the broad form we know it today.

In other words: it was Wendy pioneering again.
There's a lot of interesting material to read about on her website, in case you have missed it.

 

Thanks for the tip.

 

Someone needs to make a documentary of her legacy.

 

From the book that came with the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center 10th anniversary celebration box, here are a list of her compositions:
Composition for Four Loudspeakers (1963)
Dialogues, for piano and two loudspeakers (1963)
Sacred Sonorities (1963)
Variations, for flute and electronic sounds (1964)........Turnabout TV4004, TV340045
Image, for instruments and tape (film) (1964)
Epitaph for Man (with narrator) (1964)
Noah, for voices, chamber orchestra and tape (opera) (1965)
Pomposities (with narrator) (1965)

 

I've been watching this thread for a little while, fascinated by the new knowledge I was gaining about Carlos' catalog of work. I was laughing to myself when others had mentioned picking up older titles in thrift shops...thinking "yeah, right". Sure enough, just this afternoon at my local Goodwill, I find a 1984 Made in Japan CBS Masterworks version of Digital Moonscapes (MK 39340). Very nice condition, with a sticky thumbprint on the printed side of the disc. Playing side has the usual light scuffing from having been played, but nothing to corrupt the sound. You just never know...

 

I couldn't agree more, but the biggest hurdle in accomplishing this would likely be Wendy herself, unfortunately.

thanks a lot for this. I wish we could sticky it to the thread, especially since she doesn't make that information public on her website. it might be the only complete source out there.

that record is on spotify, and I've never held a physical copy. how long is the book?

 

It's a 13 page book that includes information and pictures about the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center, and the people associated with it. It includes a list of compositions created at the center, which is where I got the list from, and is the only place Carlos is mentioned in the book.

 

There are only a small handful of living composers I would love to share a cup of tea and chat with- Wendy is in the top three. Every aspect of her work is extraordinary. ' TIMESTEPS' predates every variation of alternative ' edge' music we have today.

 

Inspired by the thread, I picked up a copy of A Clockwork Orange Soundtrack, and have just finished listening to it. I'd forgotten how good Carlos' contributions were to it, and integral to the feel of the movie. I feel the need to get disk with all of Carlos' contributions intended for the film.

 

I have both versions of the soundtrack. Carlos's personalized version is far superior. I've always been especially fond of the final piece called 'Country Lane' that doesn't show up at all on the original soundtrack album.

 

Since this thread is a free talk about Wendy Carlos, I had forgotten that the OP was about reissues, and the gap of 20 years.
Man, that's a huge gap!

I'm wondering is if there would be any commercial gain into reprinting Wendy's work today (aside the obvious and, if you like, more maketable Switched on I-II or maybe the box-set) or if the momentum is definitely gone.
Especially the original work sounds difficult to re-propose today. For example, Digital Moonscapes sounds aged, and while being of historical relevance I can't but wish it was recorded with a real orchestra. (Even Wendy states she likes acoustic instruments better, on the site).

I can't think anything more than a limited run, and only if the remasters used are the ones approved by Wendy herself. I fear the sloppy job of a quick budget remastering.

She indeed looks pretty obscure, today.

Which leads me to a couple of questions.
4 actually

1) The boasted "vast superiority" on the ESD remasters is real? What can those who have compared different versions, especially the Eighties albums, can say? Is the Noise Reduction used really "unobtrusive"?
2) If a specialized reissue label, like Cherry Red / Esoteric for example, wanted to reprint the whole discography, could they negotiate the rights anew or the fate of ESD would "lock" them someway?
3) I find it hard, even considering what said about her attitude, that in 20 years after the sudden "changes in the music business" one can't find other "valuable options" if really determined to. I'm afraid the truth is she basically gave up on records back then.
4) What has she done after Tales of Heaven and Hell (1998) and
4a) doesn't that album sound like a Swan Song to you, like a final lock back from an artist who maybe is feeling her contemporary relevance is gone?

 

My guess is Carlos would just have to agree with another label to reissue them. Doesn't seem likely to me at this point, but it would be nice.

 

It would, indeed.
I wonder who is the legal owner of the ESD masters though. I seem to understand usually the artist is not.
Reading the official site, it looks like she is the owner of the original studio masters, except Tron. But it might be all in my head.

 

It would be nice if she was able to compile a set of Blu-Ray remasters. Eg, the SOB's on one, some soundtracks on another, etc. Maybe a boutique label like Rhino could license them.

 

Checking out this thread it seems like I've discovered TOMITA! Really excited and want to buy a few of his SACD releases. Checking out this title on amazon... Is this album http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MJVMO2...TF8&colid=2D0OBVUDJXSOU&coliid=I1GWBXU7ZLFGDZ A combination of his work or single studio album. Wasn't sure if it was part of his Planets release for the SACD of Ultimate Planets. Would I be getting the same album twice? I can't seem to find much info on this release.

also been waiting and hoping for Wendy Carlo's catalog to be re-issued so I apologize if people got their hopes up with me bumping the thread. what I really wish is for some great SACD releases of her work.

 

I would suggest those who want re-issues to write her to let her know that the interest is there. I've gotten personal responses from her before from the webmaster address at wendycarlos.com. I'm 99% sure she is the only person working on that site.

Be warned, she's a prickly computer nerd and always has been.

I'd imagine there is someone who reads this forum who has a label and would be willing to re-release her music. The main problem is that she came to prominence back when there were big labels, huge budgets and such things as "prestige artists" so who knows if she would be willing to accept the reduced circumstances of a current release program?

As for the noise reduction, Wendy has had her own studio forever, built the mixing board, and would likely be doing the noise reduction on the multi-track tapes where side-effects are vastly reduced. Any new master could be entirely her doing.

 

Has anyone made records of her compositions, electronic or otherwise?

 

I composed a note to the website a year or so ago and got nothing. Last time I looked it was last updated dated 2009.
You would think with outfits CD Baby around, something could be utilized.

 

Thanks for he suggestion. I'll write her.

 

It's unfortunate that her catalog is long OOP and fetches a good amount of money to buy her CDs on the black market. Besides the soundtracks she did that tend to go in and OOP, I think at least as far as her main catalog is concerned, the first Switched On Bach album should be in print since it is such a landmark album and one of the best selling classical albums of all time and the first classical album to go platinum. In these days of the dwindling music industry it is probably hard to negotiate a reissue deal that would be both profitable to Wendy and the label.

 

I wonder if Pono or HDTracks could put something together?

 

I would hope that, at her age, she would be more concerned with her legacy than money. I've no idea what her income is like, but she's always struck me as someone living a fairly modest lifestyle. For instance, the mixing board in her studio is the same one she built for SoB. She owns a brownstone in NYC purchased at the bottom of the real estate market and she has never indicated that she's moved. Her property taxes have doubtlessly increased, but if she had reasonable investments, she should be set.

 

Some may not know this... but the original 1968 "Switched-On Bach" was remastered by Columbia (CBS Records) in 1981 as an audiophile release. It was "half-speed mastered" --where both the tape and cutting lathe are slowed by exactly 1/2--to allow the cutting stylus to more accurately & cleanly cut the LP grooves. The sonic improvement is significant and easy to discern, provided you can find a mint copy today. The music effortlessly blooms from a quieter background, and the frequency response at the extremes is noticeably wider and cleaner. Jackets were originally packaged in poly-sleeves (rather than shrink wrapping) with a fold-over flap that was paper-tape sealed. An insert was included that describes the half-speed mastering process as well as the improved lacquers and vinyl used for these editions.

For the vinyl collector, this is the version that needs to be re-released!