The Music Tapes
Encyclopedia
The Music Tapes is an experimental
pop music
project of Elephant 6 member Julian Koster
, also of Neutral Milk Hotel
, and the earlier Chocolate U.S.A.. Music Tapes releases are characterised by their unusual orchestration (the singing saw and banjo
are matched with sounds recorded in Julian's environment, for example the sound of a bouncing ball as percussion), which produces an effect which is part musique concrète
, part 1960s pop
. The band also includes such musical inventions as the 7-foot-tall metronome, Static the television (A Philco Predicta)
, the Clapping Hands Machine, and many other creations.
band, which also included Bill Doss
and Eric Harris, later (along with Koster, though somewhat unofficially) members of The Olivia Tremor Control
. The band released two full albums, All Jets Are Gonna Fall Today
and Smoke Machine
, before splitting in 1994, after which Koster chose to focus his creative efforts on the Music Tapes once more.
To date, the Music Tapes have released two full albums. The first, 1st Imaginary Symphony For Nomad
, a partial concept record, among its themes the power of television, and the death of 1950's actor George Reeves
, who played the hero Superman
, who Koster was entranced with as a child. The album took many years to assemble, being recorded in closets and cupboards, and mixing straightforward pop songs with collage and storytelling. Its release was followed by the "House Capsule Tour" in which Julian was joined by fellow Music Tapes Robbie Cucchiaro and Eric Harris
.
The Music Tapes have also released three 7" records - Please Hear Mr. Flight Control, The Television Tells Us and a split 7" entitled The Music Tapes and Dad, with Dennis Koster, Julian's father and renowned flamenco guitarist.
was released on August 19, 2008 via Merge Records. It contains 14 songs, two with videos. Some of these songs existed back around the time of 1st Imaginary Symphony for Nomad
.
Merge also released The Singing Saw at Christmastime
on October 7. The album features 12 Christmas songs performed on singing saw and was released under Julian Koster
, not The Music Tapes.
. It is yet to be mass released http://e6townhall.com/viewthread.php?tid=6136 but has actually been finished and put through two CD-R
circulations and played on WNYC's Spinning on Air. Julian States: "An official release shall be arranged for, but it's not yet as, in truth, I've been too wrapped up in making new things." Another record is the as yet untitled 'singing saw symphony', complete with Julian's father, again on flamenco guitar, though this has yet to see the light of day, and is under slow progress. Lastly, though certainly not least, is a film project, for which Julian is working with director John Cameron Mitchell
, known for his film Hedwig and the Angry Inch
. The film is set to be an animation, with music by Koster, which is also about the boy named Nigh, although not many other details are known.
The Music Tapes played Athens Popfest 2008 and participated in the Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour that fall. In the winter, Julian Koster performed some Music Tapes songs on a caroling tour (see Julian Koster
for more information).
" to the Victor compilation album
Rabid Chords 002: Tribute to the Velvet Underground, released in 2000
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
project of Elephant 6 member Julian Koster
Julian Koster
Julian Koster is an American underground musician and storyteller. A member of the Elephant 6 Collective, he is the leader of The Music Tapes, and a former member of Neutral Milk Hotel and Chocolate USA. He is also an influential and long time performer on the singing or Musical Saw...
, also of Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel was an American indie rock band formed by singer, guitarist and songwriter Jeff Mangum in the early 1990s. The band was noted for its experimental sound, obscure lyrics and eclectic instrumentation....
, and the earlier Chocolate U.S.A.. Music Tapes releases are characterised by their unusual orchestration (the singing saw and banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
are matched with sounds recorded in Julian's environment, for example the sound of a bouncing ball as percussion), which produces an effect which is part musique concrète
Musique concrète
Musique concrète is a form of electroacoustic music that utilises acousmatic sound as a compositional resource. The compositional material is not restricted to the inclusion of sounds derived from musical instruments or voices, nor to elements traditionally thought of as "musical"...
, part 1960s pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
. The band also includes such musical inventions as the 7-foot-tall metronome, Static the television (A Philco Predicta)
Predicta
The Philco Predicta is a television made in several models by the Philco company in the late 1950s. It is arguably the most iconic television set in existence and is to most people the "classic" 1950s TV set — although with its trademark detached picture tube, it couldn't be more atypical of an...
, the Clapping Hands Machine, and many other creations.
Origins and the 1st Imaginary Symphony for Nomad
The Music Tapes started life as a creative outlet for the 16 year old Koster, who would create tapes of songs and stories, as means of escapism, which he would share with his friends, culminating in 'The American Phoam Rubber Co. Symphony Orchestra Proudly Presents the 2nd Silly Putty Symphony for Edison Wax Cylinder', which was essentially tape collage. In 1989, Koster formed the band Chocolate U.S.A., a more conventional indie popIndie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band, which also included Bill Doss
Bill Doss
Bill Doss is among the co-founders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company, based in Athens, Georgia, and one of the key creative forces behind The Olivia Tremor Control, one of the leaders of the collective, and later, following the band's break-up, The Sunshine Fix...
and Eric Harris, later (along with Koster, though somewhat unofficially) members of The Olivia Tremor Control
The Olivia Tremor Control
The Olivia Tremor Control is an indie rock band prominent in the mid to late 1990s which, along with The Apples in Stereo and Neutral Milk Hotel, was one of the three original Elephant 6 projects...
. The band released two full albums, All Jets Are Gonna Fall Today
All Jets Are Gonna Fall Today
All Jets Are Gonna Fall Today is the debut full-length album by Julian Koster's Chocolate USA. Released in 1992, it was their first release for Bar/None Records.- Track listing :# Test :40# All Jets Are Gonna Fall Today – 3:14...
and Smoke Machine
Smoke Machine (album)
Smoke Machine is the second and final album by Chocolate USA. The group is best known as the first band of The Music Tapes' and Neutral Milk Hotel's Julian Koster...
, before splitting in 1994, after which Koster chose to focus his creative efforts on the Music Tapes once more.
To date, the Music Tapes have released two full albums. The first, 1st Imaginary Symphony For Nomad
1st Imaginary Symphony For Nomad
1st Imaginary Symphony For Nomad was an album released by The Music Tapes, a project consisting mainly of Neutral Milk Hotel's Julian Koster in 1999 by Merge Records. It was recorded mainly on vintage equipment, using equipment such as a 1895 Edison wax cylinder recorder, a 1940's wire recorder, a...
, a partial concept record, among its themes the power of television, and the death of 1950's actor George Reeves
George Reeves
George Reeves was an American actor best known for his role as Superman in the 1950s television program Adventures of Superman....
, who played the hero Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, who Koster was entranced with as a child. The album took many years to assemble, being recorded in closets and cupboards, and mixing straightforward pop songs with collage and storytelling. Its release was followed by the "House Capsule Tour" in which Julian was joined by fellow Music Tapes Robbie Cucchiaro and Eric Harris
Eric Harris (musician)
Eric Harris is an American musician who played the drums for The Olivia Tremor Control from 1995 to 2000. Harris currently drums for Elf Power.-References:*...
.
The Music Tapes have also released three 7" records - Please Hear Mr. Flight Control, The Television Tells Us and a split 7" entitled The Music Tapes and Dad, with Dennis Koster, Julian's father and renowned flamenco guitarist.
Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes and The Singing Saw at Christmastime
Music Tapes For Clouds and TornadoesMusic Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes
Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes is an album by The Music Tapes, a project consisting mainly of Neutral Milk Hotel's Julian Koster, released in 2008 by Merge Records...
was released on August 19, 2008 via Merge Records. It contains 14 songs, two with videos. Some of these songs existed back around the time of 1st Imaginary Symphony for Nomad
1st Imaginary Symphony For Nomad
1st Imaginary Symphony For Nomad was an album released by The Music Tapes, a project consisting mainly of Neutral Milk Hotel's Julian Koster in 1999 by Merge Records. It was recorded mainly on vintage equipment, using equipment such as a 1895 Edison wax cylinder recorder, a 1940's wire recorder, a...
.
Merge also released The Singing Saw at Christmastime
The Singing Saw at Christmastime
The Singing Saw at Christmastime is an album released by Julian Koster on October 7, 2008 by Merge. It features covers of popular Christmas songs played by Julian Koster on the singing saw.-Track listing:#"The First Noel" - 2:26...
on October 7. The album features 12 Christmas songs performed on singing saw and was released under Julian Koster
Julian Koster
Julian Koster is an American underground musician and storyteller. A member of the Elephant 6 Collective, he is the leader of The Music Tapes, and a former member of Neutral Milk Hotel and Chocolate USA. He is also an influential and long time performer on the singing or Musical Saw...
, not The Music Tapes.
Future projects
Coming soon is The 2nd Imaginary Symphony for Cloudmaking, a story album, consisting of the story of a boy named Nigh, who lives with his grandmother who is blind. The album also features instrumentation by Koster to back the spoken word recording by Brian DewanBrian Dewan
Brian Dewan is an artist who works in many media, including art, music, audio-visual performances, decorative painting, furniture design, poetry and musical instrument design. He has produced three albums of songs and concertized extensively as a solo artist, as well as having performed in various...
. It is yet to be mass released http://e6townhall.com/viewthread.php?tid=6136 but has actually been finished and put through two CD-R
CD-R
A CD-R is a variation of the Compact Disc invented by Philips and Sony. CD-R is a Write Once Read Many optical medium, though the whole disk does not have to be entirely written in the same session....
circulations and played on WNYC's Spinning on Air. Julian States: "An official release shall be arranged for, but it's not yet as, in truth, I've been too wrapped up in making new things." Another record is the as yet untitled 'singing saw symphony', complete with Julian's father, again on flamenco guitar, though this has yet to see the light of day, and is under slow progress. Lastly, though certainly not least, is a film project, for which Julian is working with director John Cameron Mitchell
John Cameron Mitchell
John Cameron Mitchell is an American writer, actor, and director. He is best known for his motion pictures Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus and Rabbit Hole.- Early life:...
, known for his film Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (film)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a 2001 American musical comedy-drama film based on the stage musical of the same title about a fictional rock band fronted by an East German transgender singer. The film was adapted and directed by John Cameron Mitchell, who also portrayed the title role...
. The film is set to be an animation, with music by Koster, which is also about the boy named Nigh, although not many other details are known.
The Music Tapes played Athens Popfest 2008 and participated in the Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour that fall. In the winter, Julian Koster performed some Music Tapes songs on a caroling tour (see Julian Koster
Julian Koster
Julian Koster is an American underground musician and storyteller. A member of the Elephant 6 Collective, he is the leader of The Music Tapes, and a former member of Neutral Milk Hotel and Chocolate USA. He is also an influential and long time performer on the singing or Musical Saw...
for more information).
Albums
- 1st Imaginary Symphony For Nomad1st Imaginary Symphony For Nomad1st Imaginary Symphony For Nomad was an album released by The Music Tapes, a project consisting mainly of Neutral Milk Hotel's Julian Koster in 1999 by Merge Records. It was recorded mainly on vintage equipment, using equipment such as a 1895 Edison wax cylinder recorder, a 1940's wire recorder, a...
(MergeMerge RecordsMerge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...
; CD/LP; 1999) - The 2nd Imaginary Symphony for Cloudmaking (CD; 2002)
- Music Tapes for Clouds and TornadoesMusic Tapes for Clouds and TornadoesMusic Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes is an album by The Music Tapes, a project consisting mainly of Neutral Milk Hotel's Julian Koster, released in 2008 by Merge Records...
(Merge; CD/LP; 2008) - The Singing Saw at ChristmastimeThe Singing Saw at ChristmastimeThe Singing Saw at Christmastime is an album released by Julian Koster on October 7, 2008 by Merge. It features covers of popular Christmas songs played by Julian Koster on the singing saw.-Track listing:#"The First Noel" - 2:26...
(as Julian Koster) (Merge; CD/LP; 2008)
EPs
- Purim's Shadows (The Dark Tours the World) (MergeMerge RecordsMerge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...
; MP3MP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
/FLACFLACFLAC is a codec which allows digital audio to be losslessly compressed such that file size is reduced without any information being lost...
/KazooKazooThe kazoo is a wind instrument which adds a "buzzing" timbral quality to a player's voice when the player vocalizes into it. The kazoo is a type of mirliton, which is a membranophone, a device which modifies the sound of a person's voice by way of a vibrating membrane."Kazoo" was the name given by...
; 2011)
Singles
- Please Hear Mr. Flight Control (Elephant SixThe Elephant Six CollectiveThe Elephant 6 Recording Company is a collective of American musicians who spawned many notable independent bands of the 1990s, including The Apples in Stereo, The Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, Beulah, Elf Power, Of Montreal, and Circulatory System.-Foundation:The collective was...
; 7"; 1997) - The Television Tells Us (Elephant SixThe Elephant Six CollectiveThe Elephant 6 Recording Company is a collective of American musicians who spawned many notable independent bands of the 1990s, including The Apples in Stereo, The Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, Beulah, Elf Power, Of Montreal, and Circulatory System.-Foundation:The collective was...
; 7"; 1998) - The Music Tapes and Dad (Given free with 'Stop Smiling Magazine' #8; 7"; 2000)
Compilation appearances
The band also submitted a version of "All Tomorrow's PartiesAll Tomorrow's Parties (song)
"All Tomorrow's Parties" is a song by The Velvet Underground, written by Lou Reed and released on the group's 1967 debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico....
" to the Victor compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
Rabid Chords 002: Tribute to the Velvet Underground, released in 2000