Peter Laurence Gordon
Encyclopedia
Peter Gordon is an American
experimental composer
and musician
, whose music draws from influences as diverse as jazz
, opera
, rock
and world music
. He has released several album
s, and has also composed film and theatre scores.
Gordon earned a BA in composition at University of California, San Diego
, where he studied with Kenneth Gaburo
and Roger Reynolds
; he earned an MFA at the Mills College
Center for Contemporary Music, where he studied with Robert Ashley
and Terry Riley
.
In addition to his own work, and that with his Love of Life Orchestra
, he has appeared on or composed music for albums by Laurie Anderson
, Suzanne Vega
, David Johansen
, The Flying Lizards
, David Van Tieghem, Lawrence Weiner
, and Arthur Russell
.
In 2008 an excerpt of his opera (with artist Lawrence Weiner
) "The Society Architect Ponders the Golden Gate Bridge" was issued on the compilation album Crosstalk: American Speech Music
(Bridge Records) produced by Mendi + Keith Obadike
. Most recently, Gordon wrote the scores for the serial mystery drama "The Necklace", presented by The Talking Band
. He also worked on the soundtrack
to Desperate Housewives
.
Peter Gordon currently resides in New Rochelle, New York
.
In 2007, James Murphy and Pat Mahoney of LCD Soundsystem
used Gordon's classic Downtown tracks "Beginning of the Heartbreak" and "Don't Don't" to open their highly-acclaimed dance mix Fabriclive 36.
In 2010, DFA Records
released remixes by Gordon of "Beginning of the Heartbreak/Don't Don't" and "That Hat," cowritten with Arthur Russell.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
experimental composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, whose music draws from influences as diverse as jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
. He has released several album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s, and has also composed film and theatre scores.
Gordon earned a BA in composition at University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
, where he studied with Kenneth Gaburo
Kenneth Gaburo
-Life:Gaburo was born in Somerville, New Jersey. He served as a professor of music at the University of Illinois, the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Iowa. His notable students include James Tenney and Allen Strange...
and Roger Reynolds
Roger Reynolds
Roger Reynolds is an American composer born July 18, 1934 in Detroit, Michigan. He is a professor at the University of California at San Diego. He received an undergraduate degree in engineering physics from the University of Michigan where he later studied composition with Ross Lee Finney...
; he earned an MFA at the Mills College
Mills College
Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...
Center for Contemporary Music, where he studied with Robert Ashley
Robert Ashley
Robert Ashley , is a contemporary American composer, best known for his operas and other theatrical works, many of which incorporate electronics and extended techniques. Along with Gordon Mumma, Ashley was also a major pioneer of audio synthesis.Ashley was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan...
and Terry Riley
Terry Riley
Terrence Mitchell Riley, is an American composer intrinsically associated with the minimalist school of Western classical music and was a pioneer of the movement...
.
In addition to his own work, and that with his Love of Life Orchestra
Love Of Life Orchestra
Collaborators on their recording Extended Niceties have included Arto Lindsay and David ByrneEarly members of the band included Laurie Anderson , Blue Gene Tyranny , Ken Deifik , Scott Johnson guitar, Rhys Chatham , Peter Zummo , Arthur Russell , Kathy Acker , and Jill Kroesen .-Partial discography:*...
, he has appeared on or composed music for albums by Laurie Anderson
Laurie Anderson
Laura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson is an American experimental performance artist, composer and musician who plays violin and keyboards and sings in a variety of experimental music and art rock styles. Initially trained as a sculptor, Anderson did her first performance-art piece in the late 1960s...
, Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Nadine Vega is an American songwriter and singer known for her eclectic folk-inspired music.Two of Vega's songs reached the top 10 of various international chart listings: "Luka" and "Tom's Diner"...
, David Johansen
David Johansen
David Roger Johansen is an American rock, protopunk, blues, and pop singer, as well as a songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the seminal protopunk band The New York Dolls and also achieved commercial success under the pseudonym Buster Poindexter.-Early life:Johansen was born in...
, The Flying Lizards
The Flying Lizards
The Flying Lizards were an English experimental rock band, who were formed in 1976 in England. They are best remembered as New wave one-hit wonders, thanks to their deliberately eccentric cover of Barrett Strong's "Money", which became a UK and US chart success in 1979.-Career:Formed by and led by...
, David Van Tieghem, Lawrence Weiner
Lawrence Weiner
Lawrence Weiner was a central figure in the formation of conceptual art in the 1960s His work often takes the form of typographic texts.- Life and career :...
, and Arthur Russell
Arthur Russell
Arthur Russell may refer to:* Arthur Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill , Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India* Arthur Russell , British athlete...
.
In 2008 an excerpt of his opera (with artist Lawrence Weiner
Lawrence Weiner
Lawrence Weiner was a central figure in the formation of conceptual art in the 1960s His work often takes the form of typographic texts.- Life and career :...
) "The Society Architect Ponders the Golden Gate Bridge" was issued on the compilation album Crosstalk: American Speech Music
Crosstalk: American Speech Music
Crosstalk: American Speech Music is a compilation album of speech-based music by various composers, poets, visual artists and DJs.- Track listing :# "Declaratives in First Person" – 5:04# "Electroprayer 5.0" Crosstalk: American Speech Music is a compilation album of speech-based music by various...
(Bridge Records) produced by Mendi + Keith Obadike
Mendi & Keith Obadike
Mendi Obadike and Keith Obadike are a married Igbo Nigerian American couple who create music and art. They were both born in 1973. Their music, live art, and conceptual Internet artworks have been exhibited internationally. Mendi is a poet and Keith is a composer and sound designer...
. Most recently, Gordon wrote the scores for the serial mystery drama "The Necklace", presented by The Talking Band
The Talking Band
The Talking Band is a 35-year-old award-winning American experimental theater company based in New York City. The company consists of a three-person core group of artists: artistic director Paul Zimet, actor/writer/composer Ellen Maddow, and actor/director Tina Shepard.The Talking Band is known for...
. He also worked on the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
to Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
.
Peter Gordon currently resides in New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...
.
In 2007, James Murphy and Pat Mahoney of LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem was a prominent American dance-punk band from New York City. It was fronted by American singer-songwriter and producer James Murphy, co-founder of record label DFA Records...
used Gordon's classic Downtown tracks "Beginning of the Heartbreak" and "Don't Don't" to open their highly-acclaimed dance mix Fabriclive 36.
In 2010, DFA Records
DFA Records
DFA Records is an independent record label and production team, launched in September 2001 by Mo' Wax co-founder Tim Goldsworthy, musician James Murphy, and manager Jonathan Galkin. The label has an exclusive distribution deal with major record label EMI....
released remixes by Gordon of "Beginning of the Heartbreak/Don't Don't" and "That Hat," cowritten with Arthur Russell.
Selected discography
- Hamburg Dankkert Live, 55 Minutes unofficial Livetape, sold by local record store "Unterm Durchschnitt", Hamburg
- Deutsche Angst, with Lawrence Weiner (Les Disques du CrépusculeLes Disques du CrepusculeLes Disques Du Crépuscule was a Belgian independent record label.The label was started in 1980 by Michel Duval and Annik Honoré, residents of Brussels who had previously organised and promoted concerts in the city. Initial releases were by Factory Records artists, and were labelled as being...
, 1982) - Westmusik, with Thomas FehlmannThomas FehlmannThomas Fehlmann , is a Swiss-born composer/producer who currently lives in Berlin, and has been active in electronic music as far back as the 1980s. He is currently active on the Kompakt record label based in Germany...
(Zickzack RecordsZickZackZickZack is a German record label based in Hamburg. Founded by former "Sounds" magazine journalist Alfred Hilsberg in 1980, it mainly distinguished itself by releasing acts from the underground side of Neue Deutsche Welle, a term coined by Hilsberg in his Sounds article "Neue Deutsche Welle - Aus...
, 1983) - Star Jaws (Lovely Music, 1978)
- Innocent (CBS Masterworks, 1986)
- Otello (ROIRROIRROIR , or Reach Out International Records, is a New York City-based record label founded in 1979 by Neil Cooper.ROIR was founded the same year that the Sony Walkman launched, and initially, the label exclusively distributed its releases in cassette format...
cassettes, 1987) - Brooklyn (CBS Masterworks, 1987)
- Leningrad Xpress (Newtone, 1990)
- Geneva and Extended Niceties, with the Love of Life Orchestra (Newtone, 1992)
- Still Life and the Deadman, with the Balanescu String Quartet (Newtone, 1994)
- Love of Life Orchestra: Quartet (Newtone, 1995)