The atmosphere becomes minimalistic and meditative when Eleh operates the controls and patch cables of his analogue modular synthesizers. The textures he creates with the machines convey a sense of precision, as if they were carved or sculpted. And they are characterised by a spiritual component that seems to be rooted in the cosmos itself.
Randall McClellan had been exploring the ancient tradition of using sound in a spiritual context for over 15 years when he created a series of concerts featuring constantly evolving, multi-layered melodies in the early 1980s. During the performances, the audience relaxed on the floor in dimly lit rooms to bring their bodies and minds into harmony.
After enrolling at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and Art in 1954 at the age of 14, Californian wonder boy Terry Jennings met La Monte Young. Both composers shared the idea of music that prolongs time and ultimately dissolves it. Six years later, Jennings presented his works to the New York avantgarde scene – in Yoko Ono's loft.
After her brother died of AIDS in 1986, Diamanda Galás took the side of those affected by the disease. The New York avantgarde artist and soprano opposed the Catholic Church’s view that AIDS was a punishment from God.
With self-built electronic instruments and performances influenced by Dadaism, Cabaret Voltaire from Sheffield paved the way for industrial culture in the mid-1970s. In his 1982 solo album Pow-Wow, founding member Stephen Mallinder explored the possibilities of dynamic minimalism.
According to legend, the Sami people, who live mainly in northern Scandinavia, received the tradition of joik singing in pre-Christian times from Arctic elves and fairies. These days, Ánde Somby attempts to make contact with the spirits through improvised joik pieces to inquire about their well-being.
