One of our favourite "pure drone" album consisting of 3 amazing long tracks by Pauline Oliveros. I of IV was made in July 1966 at the University of Toronto Electronic Music Studio and was first released by CBS alongside works by 2 other young composers - 'Come out' by Steve Reich and 'Night music' by Richard Maxfield. It is really only in recent years (born out of the more radical elements of dance music, Electronica and ambient music) that music like this is being rediscovered by a growing number of people interested in all manner of experimental Electronics. Track 2 was also made in the summer of 1966 at the University of Toronto Electronic Music Studio, and track 3 was made at the San Francisco Tape Music Center in 1965. The 3 pieces on this CD are all live experiments, which at the simplest level use either an array of oscillators or filters, a mixer and one spool of tape feeding a series of (variously set up) stereo tape machines. Long delay lines, pile ups of noise and rich sonorities are the stuff of this music. The third piece also samples a chunk of Pucini's 'Madame Butterfly', which only makes this music seem even more contemporary.

""The tape-delay technique and sine-wave combination build a massive cloud of sound that floats through a reverberating architecture. Doppler effect from the drones and tape loops create a three-imensional sound that is far too elaborate to be called minimalist, the harmonies bubbling within make for ecstatic listening pleasure. The final piece, Bye Bye Butterfly, is a short tone poem made with stereo-imaging techniques. This issue comes highly recommended as an insight into the fascinating early work of this maverick composer." AMG