Wednesday, 22 November 2017

Music of Our Time



A subsidiary imprint of Columbia, specialising in modern composers, including electronic and concrete works.  

These three are the best-known - and most seen about - compilations they did.  




                                       

                                       

A different packaging of Extended Voices.



The French version of New Electronic Music.



A lesser known and probably hideously rare Music of Our Time compilation - this 7 inch, 33 1/3 rpm  label sampler, M.O.O.T.  A demonstration disc, not for sale.

                                            






                                          

Three repackagings of Berio's Sinfonia with the Swingle Sisters.





                                            


                                           














                                             



Later on the discography gets a bit confusing with some Music of Our Time release coming out via Odyssey, another Columbia subdivision. And at other points "Music of Our Time" type releases just go through Columbia's modern music line.

                                           

                                           






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3 comments:

  1. Bollops23 November 2017 at 20:48

    The 5th one from the bottom, the green cube, is particularly pleasing.

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  2. Ben24 November 2017 at 17:23

    That Max Neuhaus / Electronics & Percussion one is fairly awe-inspiring. What are all those boxes he has on top of his speaker cabinets...? I'd love to know.

    I also love that second, more psychedelic-y cover for 'In C' - makes an interesting contrast with the more familiar design above it, and also causes me to reflect on how strongly our perceptions of this often pretty emotionally abstract music can be shaped by the cover art... eg, do you want to listen to 'In C' with the drifty blobs of colour on the front, or the stern horizontal bars? It might be the same recording inside, but it wouldn't be quite the same, would it?

    Both the covers for Milton Subotnik (whose music I've always found quite scary and off-putting) seem to recognise this, perhaps trying to convey a "hey don't worry, this stuff's actually nice and gentle and connected with nature" sort of message to potential buyers...?

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  3. SIMON REYNOLDS24 November 2017 at 21:03

    Talking of Morton S as scary and offputting, the cover for Sidewinder is a coiled rattlesnake.

    Until Spring is actually Mort at his most approachable with sproingy undulant rhythms so the cover is suitable.

    The Neuhaus cover is pretty wild - no shirt, a time when most of these composers wear a tie and a jacket in their cover photos.

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