Exposé Online banner

Exposé Online

Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
Covering music from the fringes since 1993.

Reviews

Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Co. — Like a Duck to Water (1974-1976)
(Cuneiform Rune 147, 1976/2001, CD)

by Paul Hightower, Published 2001-12-01

Like a Duck to Water (1974-1976) Cover art

Mother Mallard was an ensemble formed by Cornell University students in the early 70s who wished to experiment with electronic music. This led to recordings as well as live performances throughout the decade, several in association with dance companies. The trio on this album is the second MM lineup, with Steve Drews, David Borden, and Judy Borsher. For the uninitiated, MM fills an important position in pioneering American electronic music alongside Wendy Carlos, Larry Fast, and European contemporaries such as Tangerine Dream and early Kraftwerk. The music relies on a set of early modular Moogs as well as a Minimoog, an RMI electric piano (the only polyphonic instrument in the ensemble) as well as tape loops and early sequencers. There’s a studied clinicism to the material that relates to the contemporary work of composers such as John Cage who is directly cited as a major influence on David Borden in particular. This is best expressed in the aptly named "C-A-G-E Part II" which uses the pitches in Cage’s last name to form the basis of the piece. A mechanical quality also permeates the music, with sequencers and looped phrases serving as the foundation to many compositions. Three bonus tracks have been included on this disc, including the nicely meditative "Theme from After the Fall," the engaging "Downtown," and the friendly little "Harpsichord Truck." This is a great package not to be missed by electronic music aficionados.

Filed under: Reissues, Issue 23, 2001 releases, 1976 recordings

Related artist(s): Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Company

More info
http://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/like-a-duck-to-water

 

What's new

These are the most recent changes made to artists, releases, and articles.