Into the archives
A recent search brought back some early electronic music and a whole grab-bag of memories. The “Switched On Bach” albums began back in 1968, when Wendy Carlos was still Walter. I was newly trained in the use of the audio carrels in the school library, and the most esoteric LP in their collection was a true bits and bytes sound experience.
The study carrels were big enough for one person, with a real turntable (not like the record stacker that my parents owned) and real headphones, with “cushy” cushions. The sound was unlike anything we produced during band classes at the other end of the school. The beat was good, you could dance to it, I rate it a 78. No, wait, 33 1/3. Mustn’t set the speed selector too high, or Bach will really show the world how triplets should be performed.
Well, the S-OB series are now available as a boxed set of CD’s, although the DAD (digital to analog to digital) soundstream has lost none of its original machine soul. Today, my children are amazed by music that isn’t electronic…
