The Artist/Album: Terry Riley, In C (Sony, 1968)
Our Review: A mesmerizing, pulsating piece of unparalleled minimalism, Terry Riley’s “In C” carries a sense of forward motion that can’t be stopped, beginning with the Pachinko pluck of a piano and quickly spiraling out of control. Depending on your disposition, this 42-minute recording will either sound incredibly soothing or like the first signs of pure madness. A more technical explanation can be found here; all you need to know, though, is that everything from German techno to ambient noise is echoed within Riley’s erratic, pulse-like framework. And this particular rendition–a 1968 performance at SUNY-Buffalo, led by Riley on sax–is especially satisfying, a worm hole worth getting lost in, again and again.
Stream the definitive ‘In C’ performance below, via Spotify and YouTube…
