Electronic Frequencies

This edition of Electronic Frequencies presents a selection of electronic works by Raymond Scott.

Raymond Scott was born in New York as Harry Warnow. Composer, bandleader, and inventor Raymond Scott was among the unheralded pioneers of contemporary experimental music. He’s a figure whose genius and influence have seeped almost subliminally into the mass cultural consciousness. His name is largely unknown but his music is immediately recognisable.

His early work resembles bebop, klezmer and jazz although there is never room for improvisation. He had an obsession with perfectionism and memorisation. He achieved great fame in the 1930s with his Raymond Scott Quintette (in name a quintet even though the band had 6 permanent members).

After decades of obscurity, Scott’s work was rediscovered during the 1990s, as interest in space age pop, exotica, and early electronic music resurged.

His electronic musical work is strongly linked to his work as an inventor and builder of electronic musical instruments such as the Clavivox and Electronium.

In 1946 he founded Manhattan Research. Using that name, he made a variety of audio devices for his clients as well as music and sounds for electronic compositions, television and radio advertisements. According to Scott Manhattan Research was “… a dream center where the excitement of tomorrow is made available today.”

In this edition you will hear music from ‘Soothing Sound For Baby’, a series of 3 albums released in 1964 in collaboration with the Gesell Institute of Child Development, intended to lull babies to sleep. You will also hear work from the albums ‘Three Willow Park: Electronic Music From Inner Space’ and ‘Manhattan Research Inc.’. Both albums were released after his death and contained collected and restored material; advertising work, tests, demos, soundtracks and much more.
Finally, a few tracks from ‘Raymond Scott Rewired’, a 2014 album that reinterprets Scott’s work by contemporary artists using original his recordings (The Bran Flakes, Evolution Control Committee, and Go Home Productions).

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00:00-00:43 | Electronic Frequencies Intro

00:46-01:29 | This is a sound (Alka-Seltzer effects #7).
Early 1960s
Album: Raymond Scott – Three Willow Park: Electronic Music From Inner Space, 1961–1971
Label: Basta – 3093502 – 2017.

01:30-05:49 | Sleepy Time.
1964.
Album: Raymond Scott – Soothing Sounds For Baby Volume I (1 To 6 Months)
Label: Epic – LN24083 – 1964 (reissue Basta – 3090642 – 1997).

05:50-08:56 | Toy Funk.
ca. 1970.
Album: Raymond Scott – Three Willow Park: Electronic Music From Inner Space, 1961–1971
Label: Basta – 3093502 – 2017.

08:57-11:31 | Portofino #3 (with two voices and alto sax).
1962.
Album: Raymond Scott – Three Willow Park: Electronic Music From Inner Space, 1961–1971
Label: Basta – 3093502 – 2017.

11:32-15:57 | IBM MT/ST: The Paperwork Explosion.
October 1967.
Album: Raymond Scott – Manhattan Research Inc.
Label: Basta – 30-9078-2 – 2000.
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IZw2CoYztk

15:58-17:30 | Lightworks (slow).
1960-1963.
Album: Raymond Scott – Manhattan Research Inc.
Label: Basta – 30-9078-2 – 2000.

17:31-21:26 | Ripples (Montage).
Late 1966.
Album: Raymond Scott – Manhattan Research Inc.
Label: Basta – 30-9078-2 – 2000.

21:27-25:32 | Ripples On An Evaporated Lake.
2014 Remix by The Evolution Control Committee
Album: Raymond Scott Rewired.
Label: Basta – 30-9321-2 – 2014.

25:33-27:20 | Lightworks (with vocals by Dorothy Collins).
1960-1963.
Album: Raymond Scott – Manhattan Research Inc.
Label: Basta – 30-9078-2 – 2000.

27:21-28:50 |Twilight In Turkey.
1968-1969.
Album: Raymond Scott – Manhattan Research Inc.
Label: Basta – 30-9078-2 – 2000.

28:51-33:20 | Limbo: The Organized Mind (with narration by Jim Henson).
1966.
Album: Raymond Scott – Manhattan Research Inc.
Label: Basta – 30-9078-2 – 2000.
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FwxpkfzZV4

33:21-34:58 | A Bigger, More Important Sound.
2014 Remix by The Evolution Control Committee.
Album: Raymond Scott Rewired.
Label: Basta – 30-9321-2 – 2014.

35:59-39:04 | Sparrows (Part2).
Late 1960s
Album: Raymond Scott – Three Willow Park: Electronic Music From Inner Space, 1961–1971
Label: Basta – 3093502 – 2017.

39:05-39:20 | K2r.
1963-1964.
Album: Raymond Scott – Manhattan Research Inc.
Label: Basta – 30-9078-2 – 2000.

39:21-40:31 | Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. [Instrumental] [Take 4]
1960-1962.
Album: Raymond Scott – Manhattan Research Inc.
Label: Basta – 30-9078-2 – 2000.

40:32-41:30 | General Motors: Futurama.
1964.
Album: Raymond Scott – Manhattan Research Inc.
Label: Basta – 30-9078-2 – 2000.

41:31-42:29 | County Fair.
1962.
Album: Raymond Scott – Manhattan Research Inc.
Label: Basta – 30-9078-2 – 2000.

42:30-42:40 | Nice Sound #3.
Early 1960s
Album: Raymond Scott – Three Willow Park: Electronic Music From Inner Space, 1961–1971
Label: Basta – 3093502 – 2017.

42:41-43:36 | Thermofax Effects.
ca. 1961-1962.
Album: Raymond Scott – Three Willow Park: Electronic Music From Inner Space, 1961–1971
Label: Basta – 3093502 – 2017.

43:37-48:42 | Space Mystery (Montage).
1963.
Album: Raymond Scott – Manhattan Research Inc.
Label: Basta – 30-9078-2 – 2000.

48:43-49:03 | Super Cheer Instrumental.
1960.
Album: Raymond Scott – Three Willow Park: Electronic Music From Inner Space, 1961–1971
Label: Basta – 3093502 – 2017.

49:04-52:31 | Powerhouse.
2014 Remix by Go Home Productions, The Bran Flakes and The Evolution Control Committee.
Album: Raymond Scott Rewired.
Label: Basta – 30-9321-2 – 2014.

52:32-59:59 | Little Miss Echo.
1964.
Album: Raymond Scott – Soothing Sounds For Baby Volume III (12-18 Months)
Label: Epic – LN24085 – 1964 (reissue Basta – 3090662 – 1997).