Day of Radiance
Encyclopedia
Ambient 3: Day of Radiance (1980) is an album by the American
ambient
musician Laraaji
(alias Edward Larry Gordon) which was produced by Brian Eno
.
, and was followed by The Plateaux of Mirror
. The series ended with On Land
.
Compared to the rest of the series, Day of Radiance features very little in the way of electronics. Laraaji uses a variety of acoustic stringed instruments such as a hammered dulcimer
and 36-stringed open-tuned zither
.
-like, rhythmic pace on a hammered dulcimer. Eno's input is not only in the role of producer; he also adds many creative touches to the natural instrument-sounds. In particular, he "layers" the tracks, after which he applies phasing, reverberation/delay effects and graphic EQ to the point at which the dulcimer almost sounds like other instruments.
These processes are particularly noticeable on the last of the "Dance" pieces. The simple practice of slowing the tape down creates resonances that are deep, and distorted in places.
The final two tracks ("Meditation 1 & 2") are different; more in keeping with the "ambient" style featured on the rest of the series. These are slow, meandering beatless compositions performed on the zither, with the dulcimer adding the odd highlight. Eno's tactic in these two pieces is mainly to electronically highlight the zither's naturally long decay-rate, creating a highly ethereal sound.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
musician Laraaji
Laraaji
Laraaji is an American musician. Born Edward Larry Gordon in Philadelphia, he studied violin, piano, trombone and voice in his early years in New Jersey. He attended Howard University, a historically black university in Washington, D.C. on a scholarship to study composition and piano...
(alias Edward Larry Gordon) which was produced by Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
.
Overview
This album is the third edition of Eno’s Ambient series, which began in 1978 with Music for AirportsMusic for Airports
Ambient 1: Music for Airports is an ambient album by Brian Eno released in 1978.-Overview:Music for Airports was the first of four albums released in Eno's "Ambient" series, a term which he coined to differentiate his minimalistic approach to the album's material and "the products of the various...
, and was followed by The Plateaux of Mirror
The Plateaux of Mirror
Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror is a 1980 album by ambient musicians Harold Budd and Brian Eno. This is the second installment of Eno's Ambient series which began in 1978 with Music for Airports, identifiable by its similar cover art which looks like it depicts rural terrain on a...
. The series ended with On Land
On Land
Ambient 4: On Land is an album by the British ambient musician Brian Eno. It was the final edition in Eno’s ambient series, which began in 1978 with Music for Airports.-Track listing:...
.
Compared to the rest of the series, Day of Radiance features very little in the way of electronics. Laraaji uses a variety of acoustic stringed instruments such as a hammered dulcimer
Hammered dulcimer
The hammered dulcimer is a stringed musical instrument with the strings stretched over a trapezoidal sounding board. Typically, the hammered dulcimer is set on a stand, at an angle, before the musician, who holds small mallet hammers in each hand to strike the strings...
and 36-stringed open-tuned zither
Zither
The zither is a musical string instrument, most commonly found in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary citera, northwestern Croatia, the southern regions of Germany, alpine Europe and East Asian cultures, including China...
.
Track listing
All tracks by LaraajiLaraaji
Laraaji is an American musician. Born Edward Larry Gordon in Philadelphia, he studied violin, piano, trombone and voice in his early years in New Jersey. He attended Howard University, a historically black university in Washington, D.C. on a scholarship to study composition and piano...
- ”The Dance #1” – 9:06
- ”The Dance #2” – 9:39
- ”The Dance #3” – 3:15
- ”Meditation #1” – 18:42
- ”Meditation #2” – 7:50
The music
The first three tracks are variations on a theme named "The Dance", and are delivered in a fast, hypnotic, GamelanGamelan
A gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Bali or Java, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. Vocalists may also be included....
-like, rhythmic pace on a hammered dulcimer. Eno's input is not only in the role of producer; he also adds many creative touches to the natural instrument-sounds. In particular, he "layers" the tracks, after which he applies phasing, reverberation/delay effects and graphic EQ to the point at which the dulcimer almost sounds like other instruments.
These processes are particularly noticeable on the last of the "Dance" pieces. The simple practice of slowing the tape down creates resonances that are deep, and distorted in places.
The final two tracks ("Meditation 1 & 2") are different; more in keeping with the "ambient" style featured on the rest of the series. These are slow, meandering beatless compositions performed on the zither, with the dulcimer adding the odd highlight. Eno's tactic in these two pieces is mainly to electronically highlight the zither's naturally long decay-rate, creating a highly ethereal sound.
Personnel and instruments
- Cover art and production – Brian EnoBrian EnoBrian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
- Music – LaraajiLaraajiLaraaji is an American musician. Born Edward Larry Gordon in Philadelphia, he studied violin, piano, trombone and voice in his early years in New Jersey. He attended Howard University, a historically black university in Washington, D.C. on a scholarship to study composition and piano...
- Instruments – treated and amplified zither; hammered dulcimer
Versions
| Country | Label | Cat. No. | Media | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | Ambient/EG Records | EGAMB 003 | LP | 1980 |
| US | EG Records | EGS 203 | LP | 1980 |
| US | Caroline | 1573 | CD | ? |
| US | EG Records | EGED/EEGCD-19 | LP & CD | 1987 & 1995 |
See also
- Ambient 1/ Music for AirportsMusic for AirportsAmbient 1: Music for Airports is an ambient album by Brian Eno released in 1978.-Overview:Music for Airports was the first of four albums released in Eno's "Ambient" series, a term which he coined to differentiate his minimalistic approach to the album's material and "the products of the various...
- Ambient 2/The Plateaux of MirrorThe Plateaux of MirrorAmbient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror is a 1980 album by ambient musicians Harold Budd and Brian Eno. This is the second installment of Eno's Ambient series which began in 1978 with Music for Airports, identifiable by its similar cover art which looks like it depicts rural terrain on a...
- Ambient 4/On LandOn LandAmbient 4: On Land is an album by the British ambient musician Brian Eno. It was the final edition in Eno’s ambient series, which began in 1978 with Music for Airports.-Track listing:...
Miscellenea
- Interview; 2002
- Stylus article on the Ambient series
- ConnolyCo review
- Discogs.com entry
- dwij entry
- Japanese ambient dub quartet Audio ActiveAudio ActiveAudio Active were a Japanese reggae band who released several albums between the mid-1990s and the early first decade of the 21st century.-History:...
have remixed a selection of the material for their album The Way Out Is The Way In, Gyroscope/Caroline GYR 6615-2, 1995 (Discogs.com)