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Jammer Group: Members Posts: 643 Joined: April 2000 Posted: Feb. 11 2004, 16:18 It's been about three years since I last posted here. I hope it's all still going strong? While studying for my music degree I chose to do a presentation on the electronic works of Steve Reich. I had known about his work 'Different Trains' that uses sampled voices and a string quartet However, what struck me more was the other work that came on the CD - Electric Counterpoint. The most commonly known recording of it is played by Pat Metheny. Like Reich's other 'counterpoint' pieces it involves an instrument being multitracked several times in addition to a live instrument performed on top. In this case it is a clean electric guitar It is incredibly similar to some of Mike's early work especially the beginning of the second movement. It reminds me of the opening to TB Part 2. As Mike wasn't fully aware of the genre he belonged to during this time, works of his from this period have a more contemporary 'classical' genre to them. Compare the opening of TB I: Part II to 'Weightless' from TBII and you'll find that the latter is more new-age and perhaps less natural-sounding I thoroughly recommend that every fan of MO, and that's anyone on this board, should listen to this work. If you would like to get hold of it, here are the details: Steve Reich, Electric Counterpoint, Elektra/Nonesuch 979176-2, 1989 If anybody has already heard this piece, please reply Back to top

Holger Group: Members Posts: 1506 Joined: Feb. 2003 Posted: Feb. 11 2004, 16:34 Nice coincidence, as today I've put on Reich's music for the first time in years. I haven't heard this particular piece but I always thought that his music in general has a lot in common with the early Mike, even though it's much more intellectual as opposed to Mike's more emotional approach. Back to top

Jammer Group: Members Posts: 643 Joined: April 2000 Posted: Feb. 13 2004, 04:30 That's what most people think. I recommended this particular work because it is slightly less obsessive of one idea and not really a long marathon of listening Back to top

Holger Group: Members Posts: 1506 Joined: Feb. 2003 Posted: Feb. 13 2004, 05:48 I'll check it out if I can find it at some library or such. Back to top

Jammer Group: Members Posts: 643 Joined: April 2000 Posted: Feb. 15 2004, 16:26 I found a link to a RealAudio sample of it: [amazon.com listing] From this page, you especially want to go to Track 5 and you'll hear what I mean about the beginning of TB Part 2. Well worth a listening to the CD in full... Back to top

Holger Group: Members Posts: 1506 Joined: Feb. 2003 Posted: Feb. 15 2004, 17:16 Well... I have to say I don't find it that similar really. It's not typical Reich (as opposed to the 'fast' sample, which is very typical), but it's not that Mike-ish either. More like a jazz / minimalism crossover thing perhaps. Pat Metheny seems a very fitting performer for this. Still, I think I can see where you're coming from with the comparison, but Mike's playing is so unique that even if another player plays in a similar style it still sounds very different, if you know what I mean. Back to top

Guru Meditation Unregistered Posted: April 15 2004, 18:12 Actually, Mike was not unaware at all that minimalism influenced him. He composed tubular bells theme while playing around with ideas of another minimalist experimentator of that time, who's name I can't recall exactly. And almost all the musicians of that period - like JM Jarre or Carl Jenkins, known today for his 'Adiemus' pieces, were under influence of minimalism so it is nothing strange. Back to top

Holger Group: Members Posts: 1506 Joined: Feb. 2003 Posted: April 16 2004, 06:16 Quote (Guest @ April 15 2004, 18:12) He composed tubular bells theme while playing around with ideas of another minimalist experimentator of that time, who's name I can't recall exactly. You're probably thinking of Terry Riley. The TB opening theme used to constantly be compared to Riley's work at the time, and Mike himself has given contradictory replies when asked about Riley on different occasions. I remember one interview where he says 'I had heard the piece ["A Rainbow In Curved Air"] once, and I like very much the beginning but it gets a bit boring after halfway through', while in another interview he lists the piece among his crucial influences, along with Sibelius' 5th symphony, King Crimson's "In The Court Of The Crimson King", and a few others which I forget. Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: April 18 2004, 12:14 I got Steve Reich's Six Piano's CD a few years ago and it definately reminded me of the intro of TB. Also there's another track on the CD played on Marimba's that reminded me very much of parts of Incantations. A definate influence there I think. Back to top

Satyagraha Group: Musicians Posts: 103 Joined: June 2003 Posted: June 09 2004, 12:28 Quote Also there's another track on the CD played on Marimba's that reminded me very much of parts of Incantations Listen to Music for 18 instruments (1976). Incantations must be very influenced by this piece. Oldfield uses a lightweight version of the same odd-meter layering techniques Reich does, and many of the moods and sounds are very similar. Even the instrumentation; vibraphone, marimba, xylophone, piano, clarinets, violin, cello and wordless female voices, adds to their likeness. I'm not saying Oldfield ripped off the thing, but I guess he listened very closely to it. -------------- Byrði betri berrat maðr brautu at en sé mannvit mikit Back to top

verdegris Group: Members Posts: 3 Joined: July 2004 Posted: July 23 2004, 18:11 I concure your honor. Reich was making musique before Mike. And I'm not aware of any ripping ( but then again, I don't know the master). But it seems that Incantations is very similar to 18. Probably coz Mike's musique includes,in most of the first lps,roots of minimalism, surrounded by celtic bars. And it's one of the first time that another person found similarities between 18 and Incant. Let's celebrate Satyagraha, we're 2 of a kind. Back to top

David Mar Group: Members Posts: 457 Joined: Oct. 2001 Posted: Aug. 05 2004, 05:59 Listen to an interesting show about music presented by Charles Hazlewood on Radio 2 at 7-8pm Tuesdays. On this weeks show they had a really amazing S Reich track on the show called 'Electric Conterpoint' played by Pat Metheney and a sample of it appears in The Orb's 'Little Fluffy Clouds'! It might be downloadable from the Radio 2 website? Back to top

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