Sonambient
Encyclopedia
Sonambient is the name of a series of vinyl
LP
album
s recorded, designed, produced and released by mid-century modern
sculptor
Harry Bertoia
himself. Known for his architectural
design as well as his sculptural-style
art work.
In the later period of his career, he began to focus on sculpture
that interacted with viewers and/or the elements, like the wind and weather, and as he built smaller pieces in his studio, he began to explore the ways in which the metal and other materials could be manipulated by hand to produce sound. By stretching, bending, striking, and in other ways moving the materials, he made them respond to wind and/or to touch to create different sounds or tones, which he then taught himself to "play", and recorded a series of pieces which he later released as this series of LPs
. He also performed with the pieces in a number of concerts.
The LPs
are very minimalist in design and very similar to (and perhaps even an influence on) the album design work of famous obscurantist musician Jandek
. Each had a B&W cover of a photograph
of one or more pieces of Bertoia's
sculpture, often the one(s) used in the recording itself, or in one or two cases that of Bertoia
"playing" one of the sculptures.
The backside of each LP
was very simple and all followed exactly the same design, obviously influenced by mid-century modernism
: a circle, positioned near the bottom left side, similar in style to a vinyl
LP
itself, including the spindle hole in the middle, with "SONAM" on the left and "BIENT" on the right (hence "SONAMBIENT") in a black background band, and "Side 1" above with the title of that side below, and "Side 2" below with the title of that side.
In the right-hand bottom was found a copy of Bertoia's
signature , and lower near the corner the catalog number of each release, in the format "F/W 10xx" where xx started at 23 (F/W 1023) and ending the series at 32 (F/W 1032), for a total of 11 LPs
issued. The 1979 LP "Bellissima, Bellissima, Bellissima / Nova" follows a slightly different cover scheme and employs a different catalog number (LPS 10570).
In the late 1990s his son, Val found a large collection of unopened original album
sets stored away in one of the barns that he used for studio space on his property in Pennsylvania
. These were sold as collector's items by Val, and fetched large sums. Four of the pieces, culled from three of the records, were reissued by a Japan
ese record label
called "P.S.F. Records" entitled "Unfolding", after the names of one of the tracks on LP
catalog #F/W 1024. The CD also has one track each from F/W #1025 and F/W #1032.
Info about the series, as well as the other LPs
and the single CD release by P.S.F. Records in Japan
can be found at the Discogs.com site. P.S.F. Records was supposed to release the entire series in CD format, but Bertoia's son has retained the rights to do so and has claimed he will be releasing the series on CD soon, although this claim has been made for close to ten years.
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
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 recorded, designed, produced and released by mid-century modern
Mid-century modern
Mid-Century modern is an architectural, interior and product design form that generally describes mid-20th century developments in modern design, architecture, and urban development from roughly 1933 to 1965...
sculptor
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
Harry Bertoia
Harry Bertoia
Harry Bertoia , was an Italian-born artist, sculptor, and modern furniture designer....
himself. Known for his architectural
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
design as well as his sculptural-style
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
art work.
In the later period of his career, he began to focus on sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
that interacted with viewers and/or the elements, like the wind and weather, and as he built smaller pieces in his studio, he began to explore the ways in which the metal and other materials could be manipulated by hand to produce sound. By stretching, bending, striking, and in other ways moving the materials, he made them respond to wind and/or to touch to create different sounds or tones, which he then taught himself to "play", and recorded a series of pieces which he later released as this series of LPs
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
. He also performed with the pieces in a number of concerts.
The LPs
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
are very minimalist in design and very similar to (and perhaps even an influence on) the album design work of famous obscurantist musician Jandek
Jandek
Jandek is the musical project of an anonymous outsider musician who operates out of Houston, Texas. Since 1978, Jandek has self-released over 60 albums of unusual, often emotionally dissolute folk and blues songs without ever granting more than the occasional interview or providing any biographical...
. Each had a B&W cover of a photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
of one or more pieces of Bertoia's
Harry Bertoia
Harry Bertoia , was an Italian-born artist, sculptor, and modern furniture designer....
sculpture, often the one(s) used in the recording itself, or in one or two cases that of Bertoia
Harry Bertoia
Harry Bertoia , was an Italian-born artist, sculptor, and modern furniture designer....
"playing" one of the sculptures.
The backside of each LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
was very simple and all followed exactly the same design, obviously influenced by mid-century modernism
Mid-century modern
Mid-Century modern is an architectural, interior and product design form that generally describes mid-20th century developments in modern design, architecture, and urban development from roughly 1933 to 1965...
: a circle, positioned near the bottom left side, similar in style to a vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
itself, including the spindle hole in the middle, with "SONAM" on the left and "BIENT" on the right (hence "SONAMBIENT") in a black background band, and "Side 1" above with the title of that side below, and "Side 2" below with the title of that side.
In the right-hand bottom was found a copy of Bertoia's
Harry Bertoia
Harry Bertoia , was an Italian-born artist, sculptor, and modern furniture designer....
signature , and lower near the corner the catalog number of each release, in the format "F/W 10xx" where xx started at 23 (F/W 1023) and ending the series at 32 (F/W 1032), for a total of 11 LPs
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
issued. The 1979 LP "Bellissima, Bellissima, Bellissima / Nova" follows a slightly different cover scheme and employs a different catalog number (LPS 10570).
In the late 1990s his son, Val found a large collection of unopened original 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...
sets stored away in one of the barns that he used for studio space on his property in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. These were sold as collector's items by Val, and fetched large sums. Four of the pieces, culled from three of the records, were reissued by a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
called "P.S.F. Records" entitled "Unfolding", after the names of one of the tracks on LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
catalog #F/W 1024. The CD also has one track each from F/W #1025 and F/W #1032.
Info about the series, as well as the other LPs
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
and the single CD release by P.S.F. Records in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
can be found at the Discogs.com site. P.S.F. Records was supposed to release the entire series in CD format, but Bertoia's son has retained the rights to do so and has claimed he will be releasing the series on CD soon, although this claim has been made for close to ten years.