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Sparkle Division
Sparkle Division is an American electronic music group composed of composers William Basinski, Preston Wendel, and Gary Thomas Wright. The album is a concept album centred around two naïve female interns attending a fictional party at a Hollywood estate owned by a prominent drug dealer in the late 60s. Each song charts a notable event or stage of the party, in a loosely chronological order. History Sparkle Division grew out of collaborations between ambient/electronic composer William Basinski and Preston Wendel, a recording engineer and composer whom Basinski had initially hired as a studio assistant.Sparkle Division at The pair collaborated on an electronic, |
Electronic Music
Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means (electroacoustic music). Pure electronic instruments depend entirely on circuitry-based sound generation, for instance using devices such as an electronic oscillator, theremin, or synthesizer: no acoustic waves need to be previously generated by mechanical means and then converted into electrical signals. On the other hand, electromechanical instruments have mechanical parts such as strings or hammers that generate the sound waves, together with electric elements including pickup (music technology), magnetic pickups, power amplifiers and loudspeakers that convert the acoustic waves into electrical signals, process them and convert them back into sound waves. Such electromechanical devices in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Basinski
William James Basinski (born June 25, 1958) is an American avant-garde composer based in Los Angeles, California. He is also a clarinetist, saxophonist, sound artist, and video artist. Basinski is best known for his four-volume album '' The Disintegration Loops'' (2002–2003), constructed from gradually decaying twenty-year-old tapes of his earlier music. Biography Early life William James Basinski was born in 1958 in Houston, Texas. He was raised in a Catholic family, and states that he had his first "really mystical, wonderful, magical" musical experiences as an infant at Houston's St. Anne Church. His father was a scientist contracted to NASA, which caused the family to move often. Basinski says he knew that he was gay from an early age. A classically trained clarinetist, Basinski studied jazz saxophone and composition at the University of North Texas in the late 1970s. In 1978 inspired by minimalists such as Steve Reich and Brian Eno, he began developing his own voca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Preston Wendel
Preston or Prestons may refer to: Places Australia *Preston, Victoria **City of Preston (Victoria) **Electoral district of Preston **Preston railway station, Melbourne * Preston, Queensland, Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley regions *Preston, Queensland (Whitsunday Region) * Preston, Tasmania * South Preston, Tasmania *Prestons, New South Wales Canada *Preston, Nova Scotia **East Preston, Nova Scotia **North Preston **Preston (electoral district) *Preston, Ontario Cuba *Guatemala, Cuba, also known as Preston, in the Holguín Province England *Preston, Lancashire, city in Lancashire **The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district **County Borough of Preston, a local government district containing the settlement from 1835 to 1974 **Preston (UK Parliament constituency) **Preston railway station in Preston, Lancashire **The PR postcode area, also known as the Preston postcode area **Preston Urban Area, the conurbation with Preston at its core *Preston, Dev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Concept Album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Sometimes the term is applied to albums considered to be of "uniform excellence" rather than an LP with an explicit musical or lyrical motif. There is no consensus among music criticism, music critics as to the specific criteria for what a "concept album" is. The format originates with folk music, folk singer Woody Guthrie's ''Dust Bowl Ballads'' (1940) and was subsequently popularized by traditional pop singer Frank Sinatra's 1940s–50s string of albums, although the term is more often associated with rock music. In the 1960s several well-regarded concept albums were released by various rock bands, which eventually led to the birth of progressive rock and rock opera. Definitions There is no clear definition of a "concept album". Fiona Stur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hollywood, Los Angeles
Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. Its name has become synonymous with the Cinema of the United States, U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios such as Sony Pictures, Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and Universal Pictures are located in or near Hollywood. Hollywood was incorporated as a municipality in 1903. The North Hollywood, Los Angeles, northern and East Hollywood, Los Angeles, eastern parts of the neighborhood were Merger (politics), consolidated with the City of Los Angeles in 1910. Soon thereafter, the prominent film industry migrated to the area. History Initial development H. J. Whitley, a real estate developer, arranged to buy the E.C. Hurd ranch. Whitley shared ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Musical ensemble, bands. Initiated in 1991, the database was first made available on the Internet in 1994. AllMusic is owned by RhythmOne. History AllMusic was launched as ''All-Music Guide'' by Michael Erlewine, a "compulsive archivist, noted astrologer, Buddhist scholar, and musician". He became interested in using computers for his astrological work in the mid-1970s and founded a software company, Matrix, in 1977. In the early 1990s, as compact discs (CDs) replaced LP record, LPs and cassette (format), cassettes as the dominant format for recorded music, Erlewine purchased what he thought was a CD of early recordings by Little Richard. After buying it, he discovered it was a "flaccid latter-day rehash". Frustrated with the labeling, he res ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to produce a sound wave inside the instrument's body. The pitch is controlled by opening and closing holes in the body to change the effective length of the tube. The holes are closed by leather pads attached to keys operated by the player. Saxophones are made in various sizes and are almost always treated as transposing instruments. A person who plays the saxophone is called a ''saxophonist'' or ''saxist''. The saxophone is used in a wide range of musical styles including classical music (such as concert bands, chamber music, solo repertoire, and occasionally orchestras), military bands, marching bands, jazz (such as big bands and jazz combos), and contemporary music. The saxophone is also used as a solo and melody instrument or as a mem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
To Feel Embraced
''To Feel Embraced'' is a 2020 studio album by American electronic music group Sparkle Division. Reception Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4 out of 5 stars, with critic Paul Simpson writing that "the album's sound is a Brainfeeder-like mélange of cosmic jazz, crumpled hip-hop beats, and atmospheric textures, flowing from brassy lounge cut-ups to blunted psychedelic funk" and the music "is celebratory rather than mournful, channeling the positive, creative energy of these spirits and honoring the fleeting miracle of life". Luke Cartledge of ''Loud and Quiet'' scored this album 10 out of 10, writing "the unobtrusive conventions of 21st century ambient music, and particularly the more vaporwave-adjacent strands of the contemporary classical canon, are upended, their glazed inertia replaced by a maximalist approach to you relax, a good time out of you rather than allowing some more abstract euphoria to do the heavy lifting". Writing for ''Pitchfork'', Madison Bloom rated ''To ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henry Grimes
Henry Grimes (November 3, 1935 – April 15, 2020) was an American jazz double bassist and violinist. After more than a decade of activity and performance, notably as a leading bassist in free jazz, Grimes completely disappeared from the music scene by 1970. Grimes was often presumed to have died, but he was discovered in 2002 and returned to performing. Biography Early life and career Henry Alonzo Grimes was born in Philadelphia, to parents who both had been musicians in their youth. He took up the violin at the age of 12, and then began playing tuba, English horn, percussion, finally switching to the double bass at Mastbaum Technical High School. He furthered his musical studies at The Juilliard School, Juilliard and established a reputation as a versatile bassist by the mid-1950s. Grimes recorded or performed with pianist Lennie Tristano and saxophonists Lee Konitz, Gerry Mulligan and Sonny Rollins, pianists Thelonious Monk and McCoy Tyner, singer Anita O'Day, clarinetist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pitchfork (website)
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres including pop, hip-hop, jazz and metal. ''Pitchfork'' is one of the most influential music publications to have emerged in the internet age. In the 2000s, ''Pitchfork'' distinguished itself from print media through its unusual editorial style, frequent updates and coverage of emerging acts. It was praised as passionate, authentic and unique, but criticized as pretentious, mean-spirited and elitist, playing into stereotypes of the cynical hipster. It is credited with popularizing acts such as Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens. ''Pitchfork'' relocated to Chicago in 1999 and Brooklyn, New York, in 2011. It expanded with projects including the annual Pitchfork Music Festival (launched in Chicago in 2006), the video site ''Pitchf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Foxy (album)
''Foxy'' is a 2023 studio album by American electronic music group Sparkle Division. The band's second full-length, this is a concept album following the events of a party in the late 1960s. Reception Editors at AllMusic rated this album 3.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Paul Simpson writing that this album successfully blends musical genres "retaining elements of exotica and spy soundtracks but adding '90s-style lounge grooves and breakbeats. Writing for Pitchfork, Jesse Locke scored this release a 7.5 out of 10, writing that the album "stays compelling until the finish". Track listing #"Have Some Punch" – 3:00 #"Here Comes Trouble" – 3:44 #"Foxy" – 3:24 #"The Punch!" – 8:37 #"Bitch Fight" – 3:47 #"Oh Yeah!" – 3:04 #"Slip and Slide" – 3:09 #"We Were There" – 4:59 Personnel Sparkle Division *William Basinski * Preston Wendel *Gary Thomas Wright Additional personnel *Josh Bonati – mastering *Max Kaplan – saxop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awards and citations, including the PLUG Award for Music Blog of the Year, '' Blender''s Powergeek 25, and '' Entertainment Weekly''s Best Music Websites. The site was named an Official Honoree of the Webby Awards in the music category and won the OMMA Award for Web Site Excellence in the Entertainment/Music category. In 2011, ''Stereogum'' won '' The Village Voice''s Music Blog of the Year. History The site was named after a lyric from the song "Radio #1" by the French electronic duo Air. In late 2006, ''Stereogum'' received an investment from Bob Pittman's private investment entity The Pilot Group. In November 2007, it was purchased by SpinMedia (formerly known as Buzz Media). April 2008 saw the launch of '' Videogum'', a sister site f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
