V1DNA 0BMANA - S0UNDTRACK FOR THE AQUAR1UM (2001)

Swimming in rivers and oceans. Dreaming the life aquatic. In the early 1990s, Antwerp Zoo commissioned a series of soundtracks for their aquarium--atmospheric, watery and otherworldly sounds from two local Belgian acts, V.Obmana (D. Serries) and industrial-ambient-tribal band Hybryds. While the Zoo put out a sampling under their own imprimatur in 1993, today we present both works in their full-album formats.

Here is Vidna's collected recordings, compositions and field recordings (remastered) including a live performance from 1993.

So gentle, dreamy and...wet

HYBRYDS - S0UNDTRACK F0R THE AQUAR1UM (1995)

While you could safely play Vidna's album for your infant children and ensure a gentle night's sleep, the offering from Hybryds is a more haunting, brooding affair. Also rich with field recordings, these works bubble and froth with the sounds of the dark and the deep.

Submerge yourself in it...

HANNE DARB0VEN - OPUS 17A (1996)

We played a long composition from an art installation today. Double bassist R. Black performs the late German conceptual artist's Opus 17A, one of her maddening "mathmatical compositions" from her Wunschkonzert series, a grapho-maniacal installation of over 1,000 pages of notes, numbers and notations. This is a rare disc from the Dia Center, and another exemplar leitmotif of music for art.

For us today, it's music for dreaming while working...

JUDE C0W4N M0NTAGUE / STEVE LAYT0N - CA1RO C0MPRESS1ON (2015)

Four short text-based soundworks composed in response to photographs, broadcast on Resonance FM, and released on Linear Obsessions. Layton provides restrained, airy and meditative sonic touches to these poetic snapshots. Cowan's voice is prim and inquisitive, her words forming clear pictures and evocative mini-narratives with what is otherwise hazy washes of text and unclear contexts. In under 12 minutes, this recording put us in a mood.... We put it on repeat. (More of the music for art genre here)

Dreammapping (Dreamsnapping)....

PETER BR0DER1CK - MUS1C F0R A SLEEP1NG SCULPTURE OF PETER BR0DER1CK (2009)

A sleep-track to an artwork, courtesy of Slaapwel in Belgium, a label devoted to producing music with which to fall asleep. Here we have an Efterklang co-conspirator going full-on sleep therapist. Very beautiful. Shockingly effective. (More music for art here)

Dormez bien...

KIM'S BEDR00M (2000)

Two forays today into a particular subgenre that speckles our playlists at OWOD: soundtracks to an exhibition. Both come from 2000.

The first comes from Kim Gordon's project at Mu - De Witte Dame, Eindhoven. The soundtrack was released as part of the exhibition catalog from Purple Books. Features L. Sadier, Cat Power, J. Fahey, J. O'Rourke, I. Mori, Mazzacane, and Gordon herself alongside soundworks from artists including Raymond Pettibon, Mike Kelley, Rita Ackerman and others. 

Dream the scene...

MCENR0E - BILLY'S VISI0N (2000)

Our second art-show soundtrack comes from an exhibition at the Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon. The mysterious mcenroe provides a lush, rural kind of downtempo trip-hop dreamscape that, at the time, seemed to overwhelm the quality of the exhibition itself. A rare, mesmerizing soundtrack. Surrealist cut-up-and-sample infused chill. Highly recommended.

Dreaming...

R0DNEY GRAH4M - WHAT 1S HAPPY, BABY? (2002)

Accompanying soundtrack CD to Graham's 2002 exhibition in London. Five short art-folk tracks to round out today's posts. "Soft Drugs and Moonlight," "Dumbed It Down" and the title track all strangely affecting.

"Took a lot of knocks today, eeking out a living in the usual way.
As I lay thinking on the floor, thought I heard that song before..."

"What happened to all the simple pleasant dreams of you?
What is happy, baby?"