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Host Michael Schell presents a screechy, scratchy two hours of room-clearing Halloween music. Good for scaring away pesky teenyboppers, trick-or-treaters, and general post-Halloween nuisances with REAL music from the Dark Land. Highlighting the revelries is the latest Sofia Gubaidulina orchestra piece: The Wrath of God (we're not making that up!), recorded just in time for All Hallows' Eve, and her 90th birthday. Jesus doesn't love you, at least per the queen of contemporary composition.
Also on the docket: holiday classics by Ives, Zappa, Sun Ra and The Residents, obligatory horrors by Crumb and a bevy of plundered Slavs, novelty songs from the Northwest and beyond, Tina Guo, an autopsy opera by David Lang, children’s games for the Last Judgment, and Carla Bley's Escalator Over the Hill on its 50th birthday.
Annotated playlist and photo credits in Comments.
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Flotation Device 2021-10-31: annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Happy Halloween, from the Dark Land [0:00]
1. [1:32] George Crumb: Black Angels. From Black Angels (Nonesuch, 1990) with Kronos Quartet. NOTE: Composed 1970, recorded 1990
2. [19:48] Carla Bley: Stay Awake. From Escalator Over the Hill (JCOA, 1972) with Narrator: Viva, Loudspeaker: Roswell Rudd, Leader/Mutant/Voice/Desert Women: Carla Bley (singing voice, organ), Michael Mantler (ring modulated piano, percussion). NOTE: Recorded 1968–1971, editing completed November 2, 1971
3. [21:19] Charles Ives: Hallowe'en. From Remembrance: A Charles Ives Collection (Koch International, 1993) with Detroit Chamber Winds, H. Robert Reynolds (conductor)
4. [23:12] Chris Bjornn: That's What You Get For Living in a Place that's Haunted. From It's Halloween Time (Chthonic Records, 2018)⠀
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SET 2: Hallowed plunder [26:19]
1. [29:34] John Oswald: Spring. From Plunderphonic (Mystery Laboratory, 1989). NOTE: After Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring performed by Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel (conductor), Robert Woods, Jack Renner (recording engineers), May 14, 1980
2. [33:18] Carla Bley: Oh Say Can You Do? From Escalator Over the Hill (JCOA, 1972) with Calliope Bill: Bill Leonard (voice), Carla Bley (calliope organ). NOTE: Recorded 1968–1971, editing completed November 2, 1971
3. [34:28] The Residents: Hallowed Be Thy Ween (excerpts). From Baby Sex (1971), released on ERA B474 (RSD, 2012)
4. [43:20] Matthew Edward Clarke: Creeping Feeling. From It's Halloween Time (Chthonic Records, 2018)
5. [45:33] Tina Guo: Night On Bald Mountain. From Dies Irae (2021, Sony). NOTE: After Mussorgsky
6. [49:52] Sun Ra: Halloween in Harlem. From Unity (Horo, 1978) with Sun Ra Arkestra: Sun Ra (organ, Rocksichord), Ahmed Abdullah, Michael Ray, Akh Tal Ebah (trumpets), Craig Harris, Charles Stephens (trombone), Vincent Chancey (French horn), Emmett McDonald (bass horn), Marshall Allen (alto saxophone, oboe, flute), Danny Davis (alto saxophone, flute), John Gilmore (tenor saxophone, clarinet, percussion), Danny Ray Thompson (baritone saxophone, flute), Eloe Omoe (bass clarinet, flute), James Jacson (flute, bassoon, percussion), Richard Williams (bass). Luqman Ali, Thomas Hunter (drums), Atakatune, Eddie Thomas (percussion). NOTE Recorded October 1977 at Storyville, New York City
7. [55:58] Outro with Stravinsky/Mason: 1,133 Rite of Spring Beats⠀
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SET 3: Threnody to the victims of Halloween [1:00:03]
1. [21:01:09] Krzysztof Penderecki: Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima. From Horn and Violin Concertos (London Philharmonic Orchestra, 2020) with London Philharmonic Orchestra, Krzysztof Penderecki (conductor). NOTE: Composed 1960, premiered 1961, recorded 2015
2. [1:10:08] Daniel Williams: Do You Believe in Witches. From Witchcraft & Black Magic In The United Kingdom (Eighth Tower, 2019)⠀
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SET 4: It's what's on the inside that counts [1:16:08]
1. [1:18:12] David Lang: Anatomy Theater (excerpts). From Anatomy Theater (Cantaloupe, 2019) with Marc Kudisch, Robert Osbourne, Peabody Southwell, Timur, International Contemporary Ensemble, Christopher Rountree (conductor)
2. [1:24:25] Carla Bley: A. I. R. (All India Radio). From Escalator Over the Hill (JCOA, 1972) with Sand Shepherd: Don Cherry (trumpet), Leader/Mutant/Voice/Desert Women: Carla Bley (organ), Sam Brown (acoustic guitar), Leroy Jenkins (violin), Calo Scott (cello), Ron McClure (acoustic bass), Paul Motian (percussion), Souren Baronian (dumbec). NOTE: Recorded 1968–1971, editing completed November 2, 1971
3. [1:28:29] Todd Moeller, Lauren Marshall: Slug Sushi. From Waiter There's a Slug in My Latté (Bandcamp, 2020) with Stephen Terrell (lead voice), Carole Jean Anderson, Kevin Loomis, Valerie Piacenti (backing voices), Todd Moeller (piano). NOTE: Recorded 1992 at Cabaret de Paris, Seattle
4. [1:32:21] John S. Hall, Dave Rick: Cheesecake Truck. From Mystical Shit (Shimmy Disc, 1990) with King Missile: John S. Hall (lead vocals), Dave Rick (guitar, backing vocals), Chris Xefos (bass guitar, piano, organ, synthesizer, accordion, tuba, backing vocals), Steve Dansiger (drums, percussion)⠀
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SET 5: Jesus doesn't love you [1:33:32]
1. [1:36:34] Sofia Gubaidulina: The Wrath of God (excerpts). From Dialog: Ich und Du, The Wrath of God, The Light of the End (Deutsche Grammophon, 2021) with Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Andris Nelsons (conductor). NOTE: Composed 2019
2. [1:43:17] Alexander Manotskov: Dies Irae. From Requiem, or Children’s Games (Fancy Music, 2021) with Avrora Children’s Choir, Vlada Durgaryan (choir master), Tatiana Danilina, Andrey Guschin (recording engineers)
3. [1:46:00] Frank Zappa: Dumb All Over (Live At The Palladium). From Halloween 81 (UMe, 2020) with Frank Zappa (lead guitar, vocals, baton), Steve Vai (stunt guitar, vocals), Ray White (guitar, vocals), Robert Martin (keyboards, saxophone, vocals), Tommy Mars (keyboards), Scott Thunes (electric bass, vocals), Chad Wackerman (drums), Ed Mann (percussion, vocals), Mark Pinske (recording engineer), Joe Travers (digital transfers), Craig Parker Adams (restoration). NOTE: Recorded November 1, 1981 at The Palladium, New York
4. [1:53:20] Frank Zappa: Penguin in Bondage (excerpt), T'Mershi Duween, The Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue (Live in Chicago). From Halloween 73 (Zappa Records, 2019) with Frank Zappa (guitar, vocals), George Duke (keyboards), Napoleon Murphy Brock (vocals, tenor sax, flute), Tom Fowler (bass), Ruth Underwood (percussion), Bruce Fowler (trombone), Ralph Humphrey (drums, cowbells), Chester Thompson (drums). NOTE: Recorded October 31, 1973 (show 1) at Auditorium THeater, Chicago
Outro with Frank Zappa: Weasels Ripped My Flesh [1:56:59]
Photo credits: Tina Guo via the artist, Sun Ra by System D-128, Avrora Children's Choir in Alexander Manotskov: Requiem by Rolandas Vaizgėla, Frank Zappa by Jay L. Handler, Charles Ives, The Residents via the artists, Sofia Gubaidulina by Priska Ketterer via Boosey & Hawkes, John Oswald by Allan J. Cronin, David Lang by Dacia Clay, score detail from Crumb: Black Angels, Carla Bley by Bill Roughan, Krzysztof Penderecki by Romina Santarelli.