Diamanda Galás (album)
Encyclopedia
Diamanda Galas is the self-titled second full-length album by avant-garde
performer Diamanda Galás
, released by Metalanguage Records
. The album is now out of print
and consists of two lengthy compositions.
, a type of prison building designed by philosopher Jeremy Bentham
) deals with imprisonment, isolation, torture and extreme alienation as well as homicidal mania and vengeance. It incorporates tape, electronic manipulations and distortion to create a futuristic, industrial and claustrophobic feel. Composed by Diamanda Galas, additional lyrics are taken from In the Belly of the Beast
by criminal and author Jack Abbott
.
Tragouthia Apo To Aima Exoun Fonos (Songs from the Blood of Those Murdered), recorded in 1981, comprises solely of vocals in numerous vignettes. The recording is similar in texture to Wild Women With Steak-Knives, but when the latter was hysterical and loud, Tragouthia is slow, ghoulish and mournful. The singer was inspired by the tradition of Greek
mourning rites, where the women mourn the dead as well as seeking revenge for the person responsible for the death. The words of Songs from the Blood of Those Murdered are sung in Greek and refer to the victims of the Greek junta regime that ruled Greece
from 1967 to 1974.Composed by Diamanda Galas.
Side B:
Avant-garde music
Avant-garde music is a term used to characterize music which is thought to be ahead of its time, i.e. containing innovative elements or fusing different genres....
performer Diamanda Galás
Diamanda Galás
Diamanda Galás is an American avant-garde composer, vocalist, pianist, organist, performance artist and painter.Galás has been described as "capable of the most unnerving vocal terror", with her three and a half octave vocal range. She often screams, hisses and growls...
, released by Metalanguage Records
Metalanguage Records
Metalanguage Records was founded in 1978 by Henry Kaiser and Larry Ochs. It showcased Rova as well as many independent artists and produced the Rova Arts Festival in 1980.-Discography:*ML 101 Rova Saxophone Quartet - Cinema Rovaté 1978...
. The album is now out of print
Out of print
Out of print refers to an item, typically a book , but can include any print or visual media or sound recording, that is in the state of no longer being published....
and consists of two lengthy compositions.
Musical Style
Panoptikon (named after PanopticonPanopticon
The Panopticon is a type of building designed by English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham in the late eighteenth century. The concept of the design is to allow an observer to observe all inmates of an institution without them being able to tell whether or not they are being watched...
, a type of prison building designed by philosopher Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham was an English jurist, philosopher, and legal and social reformer. He became a leading theorist in Anglo-American philosophy of law, and a political radical whose ideas influenced the development of welfarism...
) deals with imprisonment, isolation, torture and extreme alienation as well as homicidal mania and vengeance. It incorporates tape, electronic manipulations and distortion to create a futuristic, industrial and claustrophobic feel. Composed by Diamanda Galas, additional lyrics are taken from In the Belly of the Beast
In the Belly of the Beast
In the Belly of the Beast is a book written by Jack Abbott and published in 1981.Jack Abbott was an American career criminal and the book consists of his letters to Norman Mailer about his experiences in what Abbott saw as a brutal and unjust prison system...
by criminal and author Jack Abbott
Jack Abbott
Jack Henry Abbott was an American criminal and author. He was released from prison in 1981 after gaining praise for his writing and being lauded by a number of high-profile literary critics, including author Norman Mailer...
.
Tragouthia Apo To Aima Exoun Fonos (Songs from the Blood of Those Murdered), recorded in 1981, comprises solely of vocals in numerous vignettes. The recording is similar in texture to Wild Women With Steak-Knives, but when the latter was hysterical and loud, Tragouthia is slow, ghoulish and mournful. The singer was inspired by the tradition of Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
mourning rites, where the women mourn the dead as well as seeking revenge for the person responsible for the death. The words of Songs from the Blood of Those Murdered are sung in Greek and refer to the victims of the Greek junta regime that ruled Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
from 1967 to 1974.Composed by Diamanda Galas.
Track listing
Side A:- "Panoptikon" - 15:22
Side B:
- "Τραγούδια από το Αίμα Εχούv Φονός (Tragouthia Apo to Aima Exoun Fonos - Song from the Blood of Those Murdered)" - 17:19
Personnel
- Phil Brown - Mastering
- Diamanda GalásDiamanda GalásDiamanda Galás is an American avant-garde composer, vocalist, pianist, organist, performance artist and painter.Galás has been described as "capable of the most unnerving vocal terror", with her three and a half octave vocal range. She often screams, hisses and growls...
- Vocals - Ed Herrmann - Recording (Side B)
- Larry Ochs - Executive producer
- Bob Shumaker - Engineering
- Richard Zvonar - Technician