Tony Conrad Albums (4)
'Joan of Arc'
Release Date 10/24/2006
Tracks 1
Label Table of the Elements
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Outside the Dream Syndicate Alive'
Release Date 12/6/2005
Tracks 19
Label Table of the Elements
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Slapping Pythagoras'
Release Date 8/11/1995
Tracks 2
Label Table of the Elements
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Violinist and theoretician Tony Conrad was one of the leading lights of the minimalist school revolving around LaMonte Young in the early '60s, but had not released a studio album for 23 years prior to Slapping Pythagoras, the odd title apparently deriving from the multitude of issues Conrad has with the Pythagorean method, detailed in painstaking fashion in his liner notes. True to his career-long approach, the two lengthy pieces herein are centered on the drone and the sonic richness to be found there. His microtonal approach will be perceived as abrasive (even aggressively so) by many listeners, but those who allow themselves to succumb will discover a fascinating, multi-layered sound world in which can be heard many of the ideas underlying the work of bands from the Velvet Underground to Sonic Youth. Indeed, occasional Sonic Youth producer/collaborator Jim O'Rourke is on hand for this session, as is a roster made up of the cream of the late-'90s Chicago experimental music scene. This is deep minimalism with a sharp and acidic bite, and will provide many rewards for the intrepid listener. ~ Brian Olewnick, All Music Guide
'Outside the Dream Syndicate (With Faust)'
Release Date 1/1/1972
Tracks 3
Label Caroline
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Recorded over a span of three days in 1973, Outside the Dream Syndicate was Tony Conrad's first official release; though also credited to the celebrated Kraut rock band Faust, it's primarily a showcase for Conrad's minimalist drone explorations, an aesthetic fascinatingly at odds with the noisy, fragmented sound of his collaborators. Consisting of three epic tracks, each topping out in excess of 20 minutes, the album is hypnotically contemplative; the music shifts in subtle -- almost subliminal -- fashion, and the deeper one listens, the more rewarding it becomes. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
