June 20, 2012

White Noise - Love Without Sound (1969)

Formed in London in 1968 by an American, David Vorhaus, this group was an experimental electronic band which used all kinds of tape manipulation techniques and “instruments” to painstakingly create music note by note. Vorhaus, a classically trained bass player who fled to the UK to avoid being drafted, also had a background in physics and electronic engineering. Their first album, An Electric Storm, did not sell well initially. In years since, it has become a cult item to electronic music aficionados and has since sold hundreds of thousands of copies. If their music had been made more recently, it may not be that impressive, but considering what techniques they used and what they were able to do in the late ‘60s, their labor-intensive work is definitely noteworthy.

This track was the opening song to the group’s first album, An Electric Storm. Originally intending to only create a single, the group was persuaded by a much invested Island Records to create an entire album. When tracks three through six took a year to create, Island Records panicked and demanded a completed album right away. The group threw together the seventh and final track in one day and submitted their work. If the group ever had a signature song, this opening track from their first album would probably be it.

album art

White Noise - Love Without Sound (1969)

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Lyrics:

(Sound, sound, sound)
(Without sound, without sound, without sound)
(Love without sound, love without sound, love without sound)

Beyond the outside was one left to right
Within ourselves the suns or the night
Just bound by blue ethereality
Drifting onto my dream, free
(Dream free, dream free)

My mind explored her labyrinth eyes
Her sundrenched body lay hypnotized
Perfumed electric garden ‘roused female
But now the laughter turns pale

Dreams gone just melting fever in my soul
Within my head the bell seems to toll
Fast-breathing, wreathing, grooving hippies down
Now making love without sound
(Sound, sound)
(Without sound, without sound, without sound, without sound)
(Love without sound, Love without sound, Love without sound, without sound)

It never had been made like that before
Our maiden knighthood longing bright for more
Her leg stood firm, the dead wind sighed, “Come on”
Mistral away, now she's gone

2 comments:

  1. Well, it's one of the more unusual tracks you've played here. The more I listened to the track, the more I realised how much it reminded me of The Residents. And now I have the main tune stuck in my head. Grrr.

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    1. It's funny because I only began to type up a feature for them out of curiosity on what I would say. And in the meantime their songs were playing in the background and starting to grow on me.

      And I've never heard of The Residents. I may have to look into them, although I'm not very big on avant-garde music..

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