Published
Wed, Mar 19, 2014, 21:04
- The American synth artist's first two solo albums will see reissue on the NYC label in June.
RVNG Intl. will reissue Craig Leon's first two LPs as Anthology Of Interplanetary Folk Music Vol. 1: Nommos / Visiting on June 23rd.
Leon was known in the late '70s for his production work with groups like The Ramones, Talking Heads and Blondie, but when it came to his solo work he was decidedly less commercial. Originally inspired by a 1973 Brooklyn Museum exhibit about a tribe in Mali who purported to communicate with extraterrestrials, Leon set out to write what the music of an alien species would sound like, and a few years later found support from John Fahey, who released it on his Takoma label.
Nommos was recorded with Leon's wife, Cassell Webb, with an Oberheim OB-X, a Roland JP-4, an Arp 2600 and Roger Linn's famous—and then quite new—LM-1 drum machine. Visiting, the album's sequel, was released on a private press label called Arbitor, and both were conceived to be part of an Anthology Of Interplanetary Folk Music named in honour of Harry Smith's legendary folk collections.
This reissue is the first ever authorized by Leon himself. Nommos is actually a re-recording, made to match the LP's transcript, due to lost master tapes, while Leon supervised the remastering of Visiting. The package will also come with two essays.
Tracklist
01. Ring With Three Concentric Discs
02. Donkeys Bearing Cups
03. Nommo
04. Four Eyes To See The Afterlife
05. She Wears A Hemispherical Skullcap
06. One Hundred Steps
07. Region Of Fleeing Civilians
08. Three Small Coins
09. Visiting
10. Details Suggest Fidelity To Fact
11. The Customs Of The Age Disturbed
RVNG Intl will release Anthology Of Interplanetary Folk Music
Vol. 1: Nommos / Visiting on June 23rd, 2014.