Phil Minton
One of the people involved in and famous for his voice experiments in a free music way, using it as an interesting instrument was Phil Minton who used his voice to experiment starting in the 70's. One of his first recordings was in a vocal group called "Voice" with Brian Eley, Maggie Nicols & Julie Tipett also know for their free music voice. Freeest examples of improvisation might be found in duo with John Butcher and Roger Tuner. These recordings are varied and a amazing rewarding listening experience, not really uneasy to apreciate, while non idea is longer than its spontanuous extraction of ideas is needed to express its full nature.
The first 5 tracks are completely musically conceptual ideas of voice experiment on its own. The next few tracks work like almost comical stories told with voice-noices. The recordings followed herafter recorfded in 1975 work more like experimental songs, as an acid free ethno experiences ("The Wood Songs") and a kind of free acid opera (style). These first 15 songs were originally issued on LP by Fred Frith's personal label.
The extra tracks derived mostly from the same sessions. Three of these bonus tracks are less pleasant in sound as the rest, but still interesting.
But the interpretation of Lou Glanfield's poem "Psalm of Evolution" again is remarkable breathtaking storytelling in voice's sounds.
The picture of the cover (which seems 2 hands that are pressing something) expresses a bit the feeling the music gives to me : as if the abilities of the voice are pressed out in its skills, (but for these pressed out forms are in fact donuts, so that same voice is at the same time) ready to be a donut for consumption. Very good, and accessible and also acceptable as permanent listing experience, an ability free music is not always free to give, while some experiences are not fine enough to fit in various moments of listening.
Demetrio Stratos Italian pages :
Demetrio Stratos jazz rock with Area is with a powerful rock voice, but in his solo works (except for one of them) he searched for but reached also the outer limit of experimental voice (including the technical limit of the human voice)(from throat singing and other ethnical achievements till much more mind expanding experiments). Metrodora****°as first experiment is interesting, but "Cantare La Voce*****is a masterpiece. "Recitarcantando"**** with violinist Lucio Fabbri is the most pleasant recording. It takes some tracks before their improvisation gets some structure, but then it flues beautifully.Demetrio recorded also with John Cage, some free jazz musicians. Unfortunatly he died extremely young (blood cancer) in the midst of his lifting carrier.
FEMALE VOICE EXPERIMENTS :
SHEILA CHANDRA
The most known Indan voice which uses Indian vocal techniques, but she adds also celtic like Indian voicewaves as a second music instrument. She might have been the first to do so. (See also Amelia Cuni)
AMELIA CUNI
A voice which uses Indian vocal techniques, but composes such own compositions voice compositions take over accompanying instruments.
DIAMANDA GALAS
Voices which Diamanda Galas recommend :
La Lupe. She was a great singer of salsa music from Cuba. Castro kicked her out of Cuba because he thought she was obscene. She would sing and pull her clothes off and scream at the same time -- an incredible sense of timing, a great improviser. Ghena Dimitrova, a great opera singer from Bulgaria; flamenco singer Camaron de las Islas; Oum Kalthoum is one of my all-time favorites; Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle. There's nothing half-assed about them. And let's not forget Ethel Merman. There's a woman who sang seven shows a week for a thousand years.
SYLVIA HALLETT
Emamem
Sylvia Hallett : White Fog (US,2001)** (G)
exp., new music
The first 6 tracks are the concept "Wheelsongs" using bowed bycicle wheel and voice, with some digital delays and devices, where the instrumental part is composed and the voice open for improvisation. These tracks start with experimental electro-accoustic ambient music. While both the (knobs on the) old digital delay box as the bicycle wheel are somewhat unpredictable with changing pitch and tone these sounds can better be used in this ambient way, thus still giving enough ability to change during the spontaneous verspringingen interchanges. In this way the music is not too harmonious neither it is disharmonious, but changes like life itself, and while this happens within control of its changing nature it is always challenging. This is a good compromise betwee the relativity of sound and the quantum changes of control. Track 1 and 2 are strongest trough this changing nature. Track 3 however uses a very clear loop. The title track compromises with an electro-acoustic loop leaping in the next track with almost funny sounding afwijking van vanzelfsprekende harmonies.
MICHIKO HIRAYAMA
JOAN LA BARBARA
Many people consider her as being important for voice experiments. I did not hear much special personal esthetics, but I heard a few good performances of contemporary classical music. However I think she made voice experiment known with people usually listening to more classical mus.
PASCALE LABBÉ
Indipendant jazz with some voice experiment and instrument imitations.
(LINDA PERHACS
Acid psych folk with a few small voice experiments intigrated.
FATIMA MIRANDA
MEREDITH MONK
TAMIA
.
I especially like Tamia's early works. She privately released at least 2 cds, of which I found one. Also her first cooperation with Pierre Favre is brilliant.
CHOIR EXPERIMENTS :
Most recommended works are from contemporary composers.
A very recommended work is Stockhausen's Stimmung (second and final version, with orange cover). (PS. I consider Stockhausen as the most important composer of tis century).
Very know are also Ligeti's choir experiments. A part of it was used in the movie 2001, A Space Odissey.
Also Scelsi experimented with voice, mostly with the help of Michiko Hirayama
(-See Michiko Hirayama at female singers up)
Later additions :
SARA AYERS
Atmospheric dark landscapes with soundscape electronica and voice. Not very experimental, but rather slowly evolving atmospherical.
JAAP BLONK
SAINKHO NAMCHYLAK
One of the most known ethnic voice experimenters.
(Joachim Gies &) LAUREN NEWTON
free music & song on Tendreness of Stones
