Joel Chadabe – Rhythms

US composer Joel Chadabe, born 1938 in NYC, has been experimenting with synthetic sounds, computer-generated music and interactive systems since the late 1960s. He was a reviewer for Electronic Music Review magazine, 1967-68, edited by Reynold Weidenaar & Robert Moog – archive now hosted online at Ubuweb–, but also for many other publications like Perspectives of New Music or Leonardo Music Journal. Chadabe developed several music programs, including the software sequencer PLAY with Roger Meyers in 1977 ; the interactive composing program M (still available at Cycling 74) ; or the touchpad controller Touchsurface with David Asher in 1990. See official website for more info.

♫ Rhythms was Chadabe’s 3rd LP release after Ideas Of Movement At Bolton Landing on Opus One in 1974 and Echoes/Flowers on CP2 Records in 1976. Recorded in 1980, Rhythms is a set of rhythmic variations for computer-generated sounds and live percussion – the computer’s live interaction with an acoustic instrument being the pioneering aspect of the record. Developed by Chadabe, the program is based on an original rhythm structure whose parameters can be modified by the composer, and able to interact with live sounds from percussionist Jan Williams – something Chadabe had already experimented in his duo with violinist Paul Zukovsky in Echoes/Flowers. Consisting in looped midi sounds, mellow rhythm patterns and light percussion interjections, the music on Rhythms isn’t radical or cutting edge as such – it can even, to some extent, function as musique d’ameublement, or furniture music. Midi sounds emulate glass or gamelan instruments, and rhythm programing often denotes exotic touches – Chadabe quoting Caribbean and African influences.

01 Rendezvous (4:39)
02 Bagatelle (2:19)
03 Hot Sauce (2:15)
04 After the Blues (9:31)
05 Bird Bath (2:21)
06 Carnival (5:57)
07 Song Without Words (7:26)
08 Yum Yum (3:28)
09 Pas de Deux (1:35)
10 Au Revoir (2:51)

Joel Chadabe, computer-synthesizer system
Jan Williams, vibraphone, marimba, log and slit drums,
woodblocks, temple blocks, cowbells, glass bowls

Total time 42:22
LP released by Lovely Music, USA, 1981

Download

* *
*