Strange music is everywhere. A hand rubbing the sides of a tub emits otherworldly space whale flatulence (Try it sometime). The hiss of olive oil in the skillet calls for bok choi and shrimp. Rain-filled shoes squeaked and squawked, sending echoes of the sea down the hall. Dolphins sing. The cockroaches buzz. It’s all out there, all the time.
Our life experience is an experience of vibrations. Everything vibrates at its own frequency. Many of these sound vibrations fall well above or well below our ability to perceive them directly. In these cases, it’s up to geniuses like David Rosenboom to find ways for us to access. On his recently reissued Brainwave Music (EM Records), we are treated to the thought sounds of our brain. This reissue is a set of music originally recorded in 1971, 1972, and 1974, but given its tonality and structure, it sounds strangely timeless.
Although there are other instruments on the album, it is the brain wave sounds that first capture the listener. Rosenboom’s system is based on what is known as biofeedback. Biofeedback is a collection of thought waves and physical responses to various stimuli. As our mind processes information, our brain waves change. Waves can be measured and it turns out that they vibrate at different frequencies. Rosenboom uses an interface between the brain and a synthesizer to generate the tones. As the artist goes through various states of mind, they manifest in the real world.
Once we get over the novelty of how this music came to be, we’re just left with the sound. The overriding quality is the almighty drone. Drones are a big part of most non-Western music. However, the western world has drones. Bluegrass music is riddled with it. It’s present in work songs, mountain music and even rears its level head in jazz.
The drone is our natural state. It is a constant flow that is revealed in our biological rhythms. Listen to your heart in the doctor’s office. Feel the hiss of blood rushing through your inner ear during meditation. These subtle but vital hums move us on our path through life and connect us with it.
Drones are everywhere. Who does not calm down listening to the sea or a waterfall? Most of Brainwave Music’s tracks are filled with spacey trills. The sound tinkles, pulses and gurgles with ecstasy-inducing sparkles. Rosenboom also makes use of a minimalist piano and ethereal vocals to great effect. As an added bonus to this reissue, there’s an additional 17 minutes of live material from a 1972 experimental music festival. So if you feel the pull and power of the drone, then this record is essential listening.
Since our life experience is really an interaction with sound, it behooves us to open our ears a little more and learn to accept a broader sound palette. Artists like David Rosenboom give us avenues of entry. It is up to us to take the first step.
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