Manafonistas

on life, music etc beyond mainstream

2021 29 Mrz

„the thing with deep reading“

von: Michael Engelbrecht Filed under: Blog | TB | 4 Comments

Thank you so much, Brian! Your „teenage angst chronicle with Jimi and Judy“ from March 24 is surely one of my favourite texts in regards to music and everyday life, I did come across in ten years on the blog. One long night – missing a piece of rock history in the making, and missing one big erotic adventure… oh, man, this is something. Though I was never too much in Jimi’s music, I think, what could have been a better introduction / initiation for me than to have been THERE and THEN, at the concert hall…. we were living a bit on the periphery, haha. And the circumstances of meeting Judy in the house of your childhood – this could have caused feverish dreams even without a bad throat.

You asked me about the term „deep reading“ – the term is used as an analogue to „Deep Listening“, the record of the same name from composer Pauline Oliveiros. Being totally immersed into something – and that I knew would happen when I would start to go deeper and deeper into your story. Slow reading, imagining the changing sceneries – that seducing shangrila of hippie dreams, well, well…and then I did read it …

… and then your memories entered my dreams: I was maybe 16 and on the street between the bus stop and our old house in a quite rich area of Dortmund. Came from school. There I lived between my 11th and 19th year on this planet. That day (in my dream) was special, it was my birthday, and some friends were there and offering fresh salads, fresh fruit. – Oh, gosh,  I forgot something, I said to them, and returned to the street, and there he was, my special guest Brian Eno strolling down the road and looking out for house numbers. The joy to see one another again. We went to my house, small talk and fresh fruit. Not much more was left in my memory, but you see how things connect.  Not heavy to make sense of this dream. Apart from smaller things, I regard you and Brian (the two Brians) as friends. Though I rarely see you. Simple as that. I think I will write about my teenage angst / lust stories soon, maybe, here on the island even, on one of those rainy days to come, maybe later. M.

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4 Comments

  1. Michael Engelbrecht:

    Announcement from December 2019

    From Important Records:

    To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Deep Listening, we offer you the definitive double LP combining the classic, complete original 1989 release with selected tracks from the Deep Listening Band’s 1991 album “The Readymade Boomerang.”

    This elegant double LP is packaged in a gatefold sleeve with original and updated recollections from the performers, the recording engineer and a mesostic from John Cage, to which these recordings are inextricably linked.

    Recorded in a cistern, this double LP reverberates with brilliant sonic clarity and masterfully improvised performances combining live electronics, vocals, trombone and accordion. Deep Listening is a classic in the fields of improvisation, minimalism, ambient/drone and modern classical.

  2. Michael Engelbrecht:

    Ah, Brian, interesting: my dream has a lovely atmosphere, everyone is in a good mood, healthy, my favourite artist comes around, but there is no sexual vibe in the air. It‘s like a purely innocent teenager party with good people… but a bit boring, too, without the big thrills of high voltage erotica and music floating through the air. Eno was just talking, haha. So in some ways this dream is not really memorable, and your „sweet nightmare-like“ chronicle exactly that – unforgettable. I wish I would habe dreamed of playing that fucking long Iron Butterfly track on full volume on the record player and kissing Petra S.R. without end. Well, it took ten minutes.THIS WAS REAL ONCE UPON A TIME. Though that never-ending touch of her lips turned into a little drama weeks later, I would have preferred this kind of excitement (in my dream).

  3. Brian Whistler:

    And what a great dream memory. I like the innocence of it. I too have met some of my heroes in dreams. OFcourse, Brian Eno is a real life friend of yours now, whereas my dream hero encounters largely remained dream stories. Anyway, Glad to have triggered it with my little piece. I will have to check out this Deep Listening recording. AS for teen angst chronicles, I’m sure we both have many such stories. I would love to read yours at some point. I have a big teen story to tell, but I think I overwhelm myself with the enormity of tale telling. I think Ill stick with the slice of life tales for now. But someday I will write down all I can remember of my summer in Soul City NC. A tale of a stranger in a strange land for certain. Full of adven tunes and even a couple brushes with death.

  4. Brian Whistler:

    Also Interesting you mentioned Pauline Oliveros. I first met her in NJ @ Livingston College. I was taking a course called “Sound as expression in Time” with an experimental composer/clarinetist Dan Goode. (Looked him up – he’s still on the planet!) There we made pieces for vegetables and whatever else we happened to bring in with us- when it was really happening, Dan would beam with his whole body, such good supportive energy radiated from this lovely man. Once in the middle of “expressing” myself, I literally made a hole in the wall!

    Dan was friends with Pauline (he had studied with her) and one day she came by and participated in the mayhem. I loved the creative freedom and enthusiasm she brought to the class. Two years later I was a student at CalArts and she came in to do a workshop on toning. We all sat in a circle and just let the sounds flow out of us with the breath. It went on for about two incredible hours. Afterwards, I spoke with her about Dan Goode and she actually remembered the class. It was a thrill being with her – Really an amazing presence and inspiration. I had completely forgotten her Deep listening, and didn’t associate the term with her. Your story brought her profound energy back to me.


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