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LA RECENSIONE
“Suonare due volte prima di ascoltare” … è questa l’ avvertenza riportata sull’etichetta del vinile di questo omonimo esordio dei newyorkesi Silver Apples. Le mele argentate consistono nell’atipico e bizzarro duo formato dal batterista (multi-strumentista) Danny Taylor e dall’ingegnere vocale Simeon. Quest’ultimo ha inventato e “suona” il Simeon, uno strano aggeggio composto da nove oscillatori audio e ottantaquattro manopole di controllo, come recita l’inner sleeve “gli oscillatori ritmici e quelli principali si suonano con le mani, i gomiti e le ginocchia, mentre gli oscillatori basso vengono suonati con i piedi”. L’effetto che esce da questa bizzarria è una specie di “theremin multiplo”, un orgasmo di suoni che sembrano provenire direttamente dalle pieghe dell’universo, adagiati sulle frenetiche ritmiche di Taylor e con la voce narcotizzata di Simeon a comporre un mosaico davvero indescrivibile. I brani più incredibili del lavoro sono la schizofrenia tribaloide di “Dancing Gods”, dove i Suicide Martin Rev ed Alan Vega hanno appreso come (de)comporre musica, la frenesia drum ‘n’ bass di “Lovefingers” (no, non sono impazzito, ascoltare per credere), il delirio compulsivo dell’ iniziale “Oscillations”, le polverose vibrazioni sintetiche di “Dust” o la piéce kraut ante-litteram “Velvet Cave”, che brucia la partenza dei Kraftwerk o le future intuizioni di Neu! e Cluster.
Tutto ciò era inspiegabilmente impossibile nel 1968, tanto che perfino il grande pubblico si accorse di loro e “Silver Apples” fece capolino nella Top 100 di Bilboard; ma non fatico a credere che molti degli acquirenti (di allora) abbiano abbandonato dopo il primo lato l’idea di arrivare all’ascolto di questo autentico capolavoro.
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Riassunto del Bot
L'album omonimo dei Silver Apples del 1968 si distingue per l'uso pionieristico di strumenti elettronici unici creati da Simeon, combinati con ritmiche energiche di Danny Taylor. La recensione sottolinea l'innovazione e la complessità sonora che ha anticipato importanti figure della musica elettronica e krautrock. Nonostante la sua difficoltà di ascolto iniziale, l'album rappresenta un autentico capolavoro musicalmente rivoluzionario.Tracce testi video
01 Oscillations (02:50)
Oscillations, oscillations
Electronic evocations of sound’s reality
Spinning, magnetic fluctuations, waves of wave configurations
That dance between the poles off sound and bind my world to soul.
I walk the streets of moment. Head down to the ground.
Cars are stars remotely far. My only world is sound.
Passersby are worlds that fly. Far from the dance of time.
Time whirls round from pole to pole and swirls within the sound… of
Oscillations, oscillations
Electronic evocations of sound’s reality
03 Lovefingers (04:11)
Mellow is the yellow sun
Waving sunbeams in the air
Weaving golden spells that run
Magic fingers through my hair
Green the sea that unfolds waves
Salty carpets flung on land
Foamy fingers seek out caves
Where lovers lie upon the sand
Red the lips from which I sup
Rubies from the fleshy bowl
Fingers reach inside to cup
My heart and knead my love to soul
04 Program (04:08)
It was very late last night
I sat at the radio
Dialing from left to right
Why I do not know
I heard a man in a voice low
And sweet with circumspection
Say innocent listener don’t you know
The flame is its own reflection
The flame is its own reflection
He turned me on off I turned him
We tuned out all direction
I sat alone my head aswim
The flame is its own reflection!
The flame is its own reflection!
The universe is nought but sound
Sound is its own perfection
Mind is the only truth I’ve found
The flame is its own reflection!
The flame is its own reflection!
I sat alone my head aswim
The flame is its own reflection!
Mind is the only truth I’ve found
The flame is its own reflection!
Mind is the only truth I’ve found
The flame is its own reflection!
The flame is its own reflection!
05 Velvet Cave (03:30)
Sail over distant waters till you reach the honeyed shore
Walk on through purple flowers. Breathe the golden fragrance.
You have reached the final island where dreams light up the daytime.
You are at the end of journey, all is peace.
Wine trickles down from mountains, crimson streamers floating.
Sweet meats hang from bushes and ripely cry for plucking.
Maidens gather flowers and feed you with soft fingers.
Hours are a song that never ends. Hours are a songt that never ends.
You can see love waiting inside the velvet cave.
She calls you from the meadow. Her eyes are brightly shining.
Her breasts are fruits she offers, so you leave the fields behind you.
To follow promises she will fulfill. She will fulfill.
In the cave there’s no tomorrow, nor any yesterday.
Just the hammer of her heartbeat as she draws you down beside her.
And you sink down on the pillow of her body hotly loving.
And you pray you’ll never waken to the day.
And you pray you’ll never waken to the day.
Never.
Never.
Never.
08 Dancing Gods (05:57)
In the house made of the dawn
In the house made of the evening twilight
In the house made of the dark cloud
Where the zig-zag lightning stands high on top
Where the he-rain stands high on top
O, male divinity
With your moccasins of dark cloud, come to us!
With your leggings of dark cloud, come to us!
With your shirt of dark cloud, come to us!
With your head-dress of dark cloud, come to us!
With the zig-zag lightning flung over your head, come to us, soaring!
With the rainbow flung over your head, come to us, soaring!
With the zig-zag lightning flung high on the ends of your wings, come to us, soaring!
With the rainbow hanging high on the ends of your wings, come to us, soaring!
I have made your sacrifice,
I have prepared a smoke for you.
My feet restore for me,
My legs restore for me,
My body restore for me,
My mind restore for me,
My voice restore for me.
Today take away your spell from me,
Today take away your spell from me.
Far off from me it is taken!
Far off from me you have done it!
Happily my interior becomes cool,
Happily my eyes regain their power,
Happily my head becomes cool,
Happily my legs regain their power,
Happily I hear again!
Happily the spell is taken off
Happily may I walk
In beauty, I can walk
In beauty, I can walk
In beauty, it is finished
In beauty, it is finished.
Silver Apples
Duo elettronico di New York formato da Simeon (Simeon Coxe) e Danny Taylor; pionieri nell'uso di oscillatori costruiti su misura. Esordio omonimo nel 1968, riconosciuto per l'originalità timbrica e ritmica.02 Recensioni
