[1] Kid Baltan: Song Of The Second Moon - 2:49
[2] Tom Dissevelt: Moon Maid - 3:12,
[3] Kid Baltan: The Ray Makers - 7:22,
[4] Tom Dissevelt: The Visitor From Inner Space - 3:07
[5] Tom Dissevelt: Sonik Re-Entry - 2:35
[6] Tom Dissevelt: Orbit Aurora - 3:00
[7] Tom Dissevelt: Twilight Ozone - 5:25
[8] Kid Baltan: Pianoforte - 5:05
"Previously released on Philips PHS 600-047" under The Electrosonics
moniker. "The Visitor From Inner Space" is the US track for "The Visitor
Outer From Space". "The Ray Makers" is the US track for "Mechanical
Motions".
Reissued on CD in 2004 by Basta (4xCD Box Set under catalogue number 30-9141-2).
A bonus of visiting the US is GREAT record shops made extra exciting
with exchange rates! I was in Portland this weekend and picked up this
classic gem!
“Song of the Second Moon” is by Tom Dissevelt and Kid Baltan (aka Dick
Raaijmakers), who were both employees of Dutch Philips Research
Labs. Really wonderful album, early electronic experimentation way
ahead of its time! Their debut, “Electronic Music” (aka Song of
the Second Moon) was originally released under The Electrosoniks moniker
in 1957. It was later released in 1968 under their artist names “Song
of the Second Moon: the Sonic Vibrations of Tom Dissevelt and Kid
Baltan” (which was the copy I came across). This album has also
recently been released by Omni Records.
AlienJams.com
Sometimes it's easy to see an aQ Record Of The Week staring you in the
face before even hearing a note. Case in point, this here album. All the
indicators were immediately present: it was put out by Omni, whose
masterful grasp of obscure country music is equaled only by their
masterful grasp of obscure electronic awesomeness; a vague but
intriguing album cover with the words "Song Of The Second Moon: The
Sonic Vibrations Of Tom Dissevelt / Kid Baltan"; and, a quick glance at
the back cover with song titles like "Moon Maid", "Sonik Re-Entry",
"Twilight Ozone", and "Night Train Blues", recorded between 1957-1961.
So yeah, we were pretty much sold, but as we read on it was clear that
this would be even more rad than we could have hoped for. Before getting
started on this album itself, it helps to start with some historical
background, so here goes: Holland's Phillips Research Laboratories
("Natuurkundig Laboratorium") was founded in 1914 with the goal of
furthering technological innovation. To make a long story short, they
did just that, having invented the first artificial reverberation,
modern loudspeaker design, early attempts at surround sound, the
cassette tape, CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, among many other things. All very nice
and essential to the way music effects our lives, for sure. But damn if
the creation of this album isn't the coolest thing on that long list of
achievements, leading us to wonder how exactly something this amazing
could have remained such a mystery - not a soul among us was even aware
of its existence, despite being great enough for Stanley Kubrick to
consider using it as the soundtrack to 2001: A Space Odyssey - ironic,
as 2001 was the year Natuurkundig Laboratorium would go kaput. Perhaps
not surprisingly given the way things often go Songs Of The Second Moon
was a commercial failure, but we are thankful to have it presented here
with the "rare" stereo mix, along with some outtakes and alternate
versions.
The men responsible for this album, Tom Dissevelt and Dick Raaijmakers -
aka Kid Baltan - were employed by the Natuurkundig Laboratorium to
research acoustics, but eventually ventured into more exotic waters with
some of the earliest synthesizer experiments. Using tone generators in
addition to traditional instruments like a grand piano, the time
consuming process of capturing and creating these strange and wondrous
sounds was carried out over a period of about 3 years, during which time
the composers experimented with tape loops (often for rhythmic
purposes), delays, and filters to create something that went beyond just
sound experimentation. Dissevelt himself had come to the job as a
highly respected musician and arranger with an interest in Stockhausen's
twelve-tone and serial compositions, while Raaijmakers is recognized as
a pioneer in the field of electronic and tape based music. The greatest
thing about the album is just how musical it is, with songcraft never
taking a back seat to the all encompassing technological aspects of the
project. Soundwise, things are on par with the majesty of Delia
Derbyshire and other pioneers of BBC's Radiophonic Workshop, and anyone
keeping up with recent reissues from Daphne Oram, F.C. Judd, and Bruce
Haack (whose Electric Lucifer masterpiece was also rescued by Omni) will
find plenty to obsess over. The 1950s idea of "The Future" is exactly
what this sounds like, with adventurous electronic tones for the Cold
War era. As such, there are the hints of the paranoia, tension, and fear
that tend to accompany widespread technological innovation and a
standoff between two trigger happy superpowers, with plenty of
nightmarish melodies, electronic pulsing, and harrowing white noise. Of
course, there are also moments that sound happy, fun, and quirky, like
strange disembodied jazz music with heavy drones. This stuff could have
(and probably did) inspire the electronic pop of Jean-Jacques Perrey and
Gershon Kingsley. The results are cinematic and elegant, while standing
well on their own for a unique listening experience that STILL sounds
light years ahead of us. Kudos to Omni for introducing this lost classic
to an unsuspecting but eternally grateful public. Record Of The Week
indeed.
