Ocean of Sound

Last updated

Ocean of Sound
Ocean of Sound.jpg
Compilation album by
ReleasedJanuary 1996
Genre Ambient
Length148:55
Label Virgin
Producer David Toop
CompilerDavid Toop
David Toop chronology
Pink Noir
(1996)
Ocean of Sound
(1996)
Spirit World
(1997)

Ocean of Sound is a 1996 compilation album compiled and produced by English musician and author David Toop. The two-disc, cross-licensed "various artists" compilation contains 32 tracks culled from a variety of musical sources, including dub, exotica, free jazz, and field recordings. Toop compiled the recordings to serve as both a historical survey of ambient music and an aural companion to his 1995 book Ocean of Sound: Aether Talk, Ambient Sound and Imaginary Worlds.

Contents

Ocean of Sound was released in January 1996 by Virgin Records. It was well received by music critics and finished fourth in the voting for The Village Voice 's annual Pazz & Jop poll. The album later went out of print.

Background

Toop in 2015 David Toop.jpg
Toop in 2015

In 1995, David Toop published his second book, Ocean of Sound: Aether Talk, Ambient Sound and Imaginary Worlds, which examined music as a medium for deep mental involvement. [1] In the book, Toop said that ambient music can be defined as music listened for relaxation or music that "taps into the disturbing, chaotic undertow of the environment". [2] As an aural companion to the book, Toop curated the compilation album Ocean of Sound, which would also serve as a historical survey of ambient music. [3] The album was released in January 1996 by Virgin Records. [4] It later went out of print, which music journalist Michaelangelos Matos said was because such cross-licensed compilation albums "seldom stay available for very long". [1]

Music

Brian Eno (2012) produced three of the album's songs. Brian Eno live remix at Punkt 2012 (cropped).jpg
Brian Eno (2012) produced three of the album's songs.

Ocean of Sound is a two-disc, cross-licensed "various artists" compilation that contains 32 tracks culled from a variety of musical sources, including dub, exotica, free jazz, and field recordings. [1] According to AllMusic's John Bush, all of the songs compiled for the album recapitulate the theme of the book—"that Les Baxter, Aphex Twin, The Beach Boys, Herbie Hancock, King Tubby and My Bloody Valentine are all related by their effect on sound pioneering." [5] In an interview for Perfect Sound Forever , Toop explained why he included free jazz on an album of ambient music, which is commonly thought of as background music:

I was making a point about the immersive quality of 20th century musical experiences. Immersion is the key word for me; not background. The whole idea of background music was a red herring, a distraction – there is no such thing as background music, in the sense that so-called background music is always deployed (though not always accepted) as a lifestyle accessory and lifestyle is a collection of strong signifiers. [6]

Toop programmed the recordings for the album so that they would segue into one another. [7] Ocean of Sound begins with songs by Jamaican dub producer King Tubby, American jazz keyboardist Herbie Hancock, and English electronic musician Aphex Twin, respectively, before transitioning to compositions by Claude Debussy, John Cage, the Beach Boys, and Peter Brötzmann, as well as an audio recording of Buddhist monks. Toop programmed the Velvet Underground's 1968 song "I Heard Her Call My Name" so that its muted feedback would segue into an underwater recording of bearded seals barking. [7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [5]
Christgau's Consumer Guide A [8]

Reviewing for The Wire in 1996, Peter Shapiro said he was impressed by how Ocean of Sound highlighted musical similarities among its disparate artists, calling it a manifestation of the book's discussion and "a remarkable collection of great music". [9] The Independent wrote that "Toop navigates smoothly between the various strands that have contributed to the current techno/'fourth-world' style of ambient-pop", because he used sources such as Oriental music, minimalism, and classical composers. [3] Michaelangelo Matos from the Chicago Reader viewed it as an idyllic compilation whose songs segued fluently because of Toop's aesthetic, while noting they could also stand alone as interesting, if not excellent, separate pieces: "Ocean of Sound is one of those records that have something to teach even the most jaded music fan about how to listen to music." [7] AllMusic's John Bush recommended the album to any "wide-ranging ambient fan" and said that it illustrates the ideas in Toop's book "beautifully". [5]

Ocean of Sound was voted the fourth best compilation of 1996 in the Pazz & Jop, an annual poll of American critics published by The Village Voice . [10] Robert Christgau, the poll's supervisor, named it the year's best compilation in his own list for the Pazz & Jop. [11] In Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s (2000), he deemed it a "gorgeously segued 32-track tour of trad ambient" with recordings that were smaller representations of larger generational concerns such as disorder and anxiety: "For Toop, it answers a need that's both postmodern and millennial, synthesizing insecurity and hope, 'bliss' and 'non-specific dread.'" [8] In a 2011 list for Spin , Chuck Eddy named Ocean of Sound the most essential album of ambient music, writing that its 32 tracks "flowed into each other like the seven seas". [12]

Track listing

Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
1."Dub Fi Gwan" (produced by Bunny Lee)Edward O'Sullivan Lee King Tubby 3:56
2."Rain Dance" (produced by Dave Rubinson) Herbie Hancock Herbie Hancock8:41
3."Analogue Bubblebath I" (produced by Richard D. James)Richard D. James Aphex Twin 4:40
4."Empire III" (produced by Dan Lanois and Jon Hassell)Jon HassellJon Hassell6:58
5."Sorban Palid"Ujang SuryanaUjang Suryana6:16
6."Prélude à L'Après-midi D'un Faune" (produced by Andrew Keener) Claude Debussy English Chamber Orchestra 9:37
7."Sunken City" Les Baxter Les Baxter2:47
8."Loomer" (produced by Kevin Shields) Bilinda Butcher, Kevin Shields My Bloody Valentine 2:36
9."Lizard Point" (produced by Brian Eno)Axel Gros, Bill Laswell, Brian Eno, Michael Beinhorn Brian Eno3:59
10."Shunie Omizutori Buddhist Ceremony" (recorded by Yoshihiro Kawasaki) unknown artist6:45
11."The Music of Horns and Whistles" (produced by World Soundscape Project)World Soundscape ProjectThe Vancouver Soundscape2:08
12."Howler Monkeys" (produced by Jean C. Roche) no artist1:26
13."Machine Gun" (produced by Jost Gebers and Peter Brötzmann)Peter Brötzmann Peter Brötzmann Octet 5:58
14."Yanomami Rain Song" (recorded by David Toop) unknown artist3:03
15."Bismillahi 'Rrahmani 'Rrahim" (produced by Brian Eno) Harold Budd Harold Budd4:48
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
1."Black Satin" (produced by Teo Macero) Miles Davis Miles Davis5:09
2."Extract from Poppy Nogood 'All Night Flight'" (produced by Gary Todd)  Terry Riley 8:09
3."Coyor Panon" (produced by Lilik Arabowo and Makoto Kubota) traditional Detty Kurnia5:36
4."Virgin Beauty" (produced by Denardo Coleman) Ornette Coleman Ornette Coleman3:28
5."Chen Pe'i Pe'i" (produced by Jean Rochard)Toop, John Zorn John Zorn & David Toop2:57
6."Rivers of Mercury" (produced by Paul Schütze)Paul SchützePaul Schütze6:31
7."I Heard Her Call My Name" (produced by Tom Wilson) Lou Reed The Velvet Underground 4:32
8."Bearded Seals" (produced by Jean C. Roche) no artist2:41
9."Boat – Woman – Song" (produced by Holger Czukay)Holger Czukay, Rolf DammersHolger Czukay & Rolf Dammers5:47
10."Fall Breaks and Back Into Winter (Woody Woodpecker Symphony)" Brian Wilson The Beach Boys 2:02
11."Faraway Chant" (produced by Adrian Sherwood) Adrian Maxwell, Michael Williams African Headcharge 3:49
12."Cosmo Enticement" Sun Ra Sun Ra2:59
13."Untitled 3" (produced by John Hadden) Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, Hugh Davies, Jamie Muir The Music Improvisation Company 6:24
14."Seven-Up" Deep Listening Band Deep Listening Band2:27
15."In a Landscape" (produced by Brian Eno) John Cage John Cage6:26
16."Vexations" (produced by Thomas Wilbrandt) Erik Satie Alan Marks2:57
17."Suikinkutsu Water Chime" (recorded by Yoshihiro Kawasaki) no artist2:55
Total length:148:55 [13]

Personnel

Credits for Ocean of Sound are adapted from AllMusic. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

Robert Christgau Writer (1942−[[Category:Errors reported by Module String]]String Module Error: Target string is empty)

Robert Thomas Christgau is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known, revered, and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became an early proponent of musical movements such as hip hop, riot grrrl, and the import of African popular music in the West. Christgau spent 37 years as the chief music critic and senior editor for The Village Voice, during which time he created and oversaw the annual Pazz & Jop critics poll. He has also covered popular music for Esquire, Creem, Newsday, Playboy, Rolling Stone, Billboard, NPR, Blender, and MSN Music, and was a visiting arts teacher at New York University. CNN senior writer Jamie Allen has called Christgau "the E. F. Hutton of the music world – when he talks, people listen."

<i>Court and Spark</i> 1974 studio album by Joni Mitchell

Court and Spark is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. It was an immediate commercial and critical success—and remains her most successful album. Released in January 1974, it has been described as pop, but also infuses Mitchell's folk rock style, which she had developed through her previous five albums, with jazz inflections.

Pazz & Jop Annual poll of top musical releases

Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper The Village Voice and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year absence from the Voice, each year from 1974 onward. The polls are tabulated from the submitted year-end top 10 lists of hundreds of music critics. It was named in acknowledgement of the defunct magazine Jazz & Pop, and adopted the ratings system used in that publication's annual critics poll.

<i>Controversy</i> (Prince album) 1981 studio album by Prince

Controversy is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Prince, released on October 14, 1981 by Warner Bros. Records. It was produced by Prince, written by him, and he also performed most of the instruments on its recording. Controversy reached number three on the Billboard R&B Albums chart and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was voted the eighth best album of the year in the 1981 Pazz & Jop, an annual critics poll run by The Village Voice.

<i>Dub Housing</i> 1978 studio album by Pere Ubu

Dub Housing is the second album by American rock band Pere Ubu. Released in 1978 by Chrysalis Records, the album is now regarded as one of their best, described by Trouser Press as "simply one of the most important post-punk recordings."

<i>Graffiti Bridge</i> (album) 1990 studio album by Prince

Graffiti Bridge is the twelfth studio album by American recording artist Prince and is the soundtrack album to the 1990 film of the same name. It was released on August 20, 1990 by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records.

<i>Parade</i> (Prince album) 1986 studio album / soundtrack by Prince and the Revolution

Parade is the eighth studio album by American recording artist Prince, and the third and final album where the Revolution is billed. It also was the soundtrack album to the 1986 film Under the Cherry Moon, directed by and starring Prince. It was released on March 31, 1986 by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records.

<i>Dancing in Your Head</i> 1977 studio album by Ornette Coleman

Dancing in Your Head is a studio album by jazz artist Ornette Coleman, released in 1977 by Horizon Records.

<i>In the Jungle Groove</i> 1986 compilation album by James Brown

In the Jungle Groove is a compilation album by American funk musician James Brown, released in August 1986 by Polydor Records.

<i>Song X</i> 1986 studio album by Pat Metheny and Ornette Coleman

Song X is a collaborative studio album by American jazz guitarist Pat Metheny and saxophonist Ornette Coleman. It is a free jazz record that was produced in a three-day recording session in 1985. The album was released in June 1986 by Geffen Records.

<i>The Best Best of Fela Kuti</i> 1999 compilation album by Fela Kuti

The Best Best of Fela Kuti is a 2-CD compilation album by Nigerian Afrobeat artist Fela Kuti, released in 1999 by MCA Records. It was issued in the United States in 2000 as part of a reissue series of Kuti's albums. The album was reissued as The Best of the Black President in 2009 by Knitting Factory Records and received universal acclaim from music critics. A companion 2-CD compilation, also released in 1999, was reissued in the U.S. in 2013 by Knitting Factory as The Best of the Black President 2.

<i>Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics</i> 1980 studio album by Jon Hassell and Brian Eno

Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics is an album by Jon Hassell and Brian Eno. It was recorded at Celestial Sounds in New York City and released in 1980 by Editions EG, an imprint label of E.G. Records. "Fourth world music" is a musical aesthetic described by Hassell as "a unified primitive/futuristic sound combining features of world ethnic styles with advanced electronic techniques." Upon its release, the album received praise from a variety of critics.

<i>The Birth of Soul</i> 1991 box set by Ray Charles

The Birth of Soul: The Complete Atlantic Rhythm and Blues Recordings is a 3-CD box set compilation by Ray Charles, released in 1991.

<i>Circle in the Round</i> 1979 compilation album by Miles Davis

Circle in the Round is a 1979 compilation album by jazz musician Miles Davis. It compiled outtakes from sessions across fifteen years of Davis's career that, with one exception, had been previously unreleased. All of its tracks have since been made available on album reissues and posthumous box sets.

<i>Seasick</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Imperial Teen

Seasick is the debut studio album by the American indie rock band Imperial Teen, released on May 7, 1996 by Slash Records. The album received generally positive reviews from critics.

<i>G-Man</i> (Sonny Rollins album) album by Sonny Rollins

G-Man is a live album by American jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins. It was recorded at an outdoor concert on August 16, 1986, held at Opus 40 in Saugerties, New York. The concert was filmed for a documentary about Rollins, directed by Robert Mugge, before being released on record in November 1987 by Milestone Records. G-Man received positive reviews from critics, some of whom called it one of Rollins' best albums.

<i>Panthalassa: The Music of Miles Davis 1969–1974</i> 1998 remix album by Miles Davis

Panthalassa: The Music of Miles Davis 1969–1974 is a remix album by Miles Davis, released on February 16, 1998, by Sony Records. It contains compositions from prior albums, including In a Silent Way (1969), On the Corner (1972), and Get Up With It (1974), remixed by Bill Laswell; it is subtitled "Reconstruction and Mix Translation by Bill Laswell". The album was composed as a dark, continuous tone poem divided by four sections of Davis' jazz fusion recordings. Panthalassa received generally positive reviews from music critics and sold well, charting at number four on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums.

If I Had No Loot 1993 single by Tony! Toni! Toné!

"If I Had No Loot" is a song by American R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné! It was released on June 1, 1993, as the lead single from their 1993 album, Sons of Soul. The song was produced by Tony! Toni! Toné! and co-written by group member Raphael Wiggins, who said that it is about fair-weather friends. It has a new jack swing beat, pronounced guitar licks, and vocal samples from Boogie Down Productions' 1987 song "Remix for P Is Free" and Ice Cube's 1991 song "The Wrong Nigga to Fuck Wit".

<i>Gentleman</i> (Fela Kuti album) 1973 studio album by Fela Ransome-Kuti and the Afrika 70

Gentleman is a 1973 studio album by Nigerian Afrobeat musician Fela Kuti. It was written and produced by Kuti and recorded with his Afrika 70 band. The cover artwork's depiction of a monkey's head superimposed on a suited body is a reference to the album's title track, which Kuti composed as a commentary on the colonial mentality of Africans who adhered to European customs and clothing.

<i>Aka/Darbari/Java: Magic Realism</i> 1983 studio album by Jon Hassell

Aka/Darbari/Java: Magic Realism is a 1983 album by American trumpet player and composer Jon Hassell, released on the label Editions EG. It was co-produced by Daniel Lanois and features Abdou M'Boup on drums.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Matos, Michaelangelos (12 July 2007). "David Toop Brings Us The Briny Depths Of His Record Collection". Idolator . Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  2. Toop, David (1995). Ocean of Sound: Aether Talk, Ambient Sound and Imaginary Worlds. Serpent's Tail. p.  36. ISBN   185242382X.
  3. 1 2 "Various Artists Ocean of Sound Virgin AMBT 10". The Independent . London. 5 January 1996. Archived from the original on 11 January 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  4. "Ocean of Sound – David Toop : Release Information, Reviews and Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 Bush, John. "Ocean of Sound – David Toop". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  6. Gross, Jason (August 1997). "David Toop interview". Perfect Sound Forever . Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 Matos, Michaelangelo (23 September 1999). "All Over the Map". Chicago Reader . Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  8. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (2000). Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan. p. 238. ISBN   0312245602 . Retrieved 11 January 2014. Alt URL
  9. Shapiro, Peter (February 1996). "Soundcheck". The Wire . London: 45.
  10. "The 1996 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice. New York. 25 February 1997. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  11. Christgau, Robert (25 February 1997). "Pazz & Jop 1996: Dean's List". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  12. Eddy, Chuck (August 2011). "Essentials – Spurning Melody, Rhythm, and Lyrics, Ambient Is Music's Quiet Revolution". Spin . New York: 78. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  13. Watson, Ben (1996). "Jazz". High Fidelity News and Record Review. London: 87.
  14. "Ocean of Sound – David Toop : Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 January 2014.

Further reading