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Originally released on compact cassette in December 1984, "Music for Hospitals" was Douglas Em's second cassette release under the nom de plume Sines of Exquisite Pleasure. Limited to 100 copies and for the most part privately distributed, "Music for Hospitals" explored Em's interest in the "systems music" of Terry Rily and Philip Glass as well as the "ambient" experiments of Brian Eno and Robert Fripp.
Recorded with a Teac 3440 reel-to-reel 4-track, Em's minimalist sound palette consisted primarily of a Gibson SG guitar and a Minimoog synthesizer. An ancient Baldwin upright spinet piano and five traditional Alpine cow bells of various sizes were also employed on several tracks. In addition, several analog and digital delays and a Nakamichi tape deck were integral tools used in the sound construction process. The seven tracks on "Music for Hospitals" each represent Em's fascination with cyclical sound structures and the inherent randomness of probability modeling as it applies to the allocation and distribution of sound sources in the stereo field. According to Brian Westgate in a 1985 review of "Music for Hospitals" in Arttek Magazine, "The patterns and cycles of change in the pieces on "Music for Hospitals" are akin to the arcane numerological system found in the 'I Ching' where structure and meaning is produced by random events that conform to a rigorously stochastic method of mathematical probability." In retrospect, "Music for Hospitals" is an early lineal descendant of the "ambient" sound experiments initiated by Brian Eno in the late 1970s and Robert Fripp's loop-obsessed "frippertronic" soundscapes of the early 1980s.
Douglas Em (b. 1961, Nashville, TN) studied music and film production at the University of South Carolina at Columbia, and later taught electronic music composition and music theory at Concordia University in Portland, OR. His works include "Modular Systems" (1982), "Music for Hospitals" (1984), "Cinema Zero" (1988), "Energy Structures for Guitar & Electronic Devices" (1993), and "Music for the Films of Maya Deren" (1997). He has also produced film pieces and installation performances for Vanderbilt University, Reed College, the Von Braun Center, and the South Carolina Commission for the Arts.
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GLORY AWAITS ⚔️
credits
released November 18, 2022
Recorded 1983-1984 at the Dream Shop
Front cover: "Second Theme" by B. Diller
Composed, recorded, & produced by Douglas Em
Equipment: Minimoog, Guitar, Tapes, Electronics, Piano, Alpine Cow Bells, Analog & Digital Delays
supported by 22 fans who also own “Music for Hospitals”
Hermit Knight is always a special adventure, between emotions of joy and pain, of a sensitive intensity. Listening to this opus reminds me of those little companions that I loved so much. They are forever in my heart. Forever 🖤 𝕽𝖔𝖓𝖓𝖎𝖊 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕳𝖔𝖗𝖓𝖊𝖉
supported by 20 fans who also own “Music for Hospitals”
A dreamy, beguiling, nostalgic dungeon synth quest through the shires. But, it's so much more than that. The LP incorporates some unique key changes, field recordings and a lot of Mort Garson style synth work. It sometimes reminds me of old 70's PG horror soundtracks. The record is addictive melancholy inspiration. The ideal music for accompanying the dawning morning of an epic adventure. brantly
Perhapsy’s latest—which is also available on translucent cyan vinyl—draws from shoegaze & dreampop, and tells a wrenching true story. Bandcamp New & Notable Dec 1, 2018
supported by 19 fans who also own “Music for Hospitals”
I do not usually buy compilation albums but this is for a great cause and the immense amount of talent featured here makes for an incredible and varied listening experience,while also turning me on too some excellent bands I had never heard before.
It's also distributed by one of my favorite distros, the incomparable Fiadh Productions.Fiadh is run by an amazing person, donates to worthwhile charities, has an impressive roster and the product and service are absolutely top notch. Jody B.