Igor Wakhevitch - Logos (1970)

Igor Wakhevitch is a a french "musique concrete" / electro acoustic composer who has worked in many musical directions, always sensitive to new ways of expressing sonic sound constructions. In different contexts, he explored the acousmatic approach of processed sounds but also occasionaly dissipates this compositional form into psych rock aesthetic. Igor Wakhevitch's musical universe is a patchwork of styles. His musical background is heavily influenced by contemporary avant garde, dodecaphonism and sound experimentations. At the end of the 60's, he notably worked for the french "Group of musical research" (connected to the ORTF) under the direction of Pierre Schaeffer. His first electro-acoustic pieces have closed relationships with others french precursors as Luc Ferrari or Bernard Parmegiani. "Logos" (1970) and "Aethenor" (1971) reveal pretty excellent spectral forms & modulations which concentrates the listener in seriously dark, immersive mentalscapes. A few pieces contain rocking, spaced out instrumentations in the genre of cosmic krautrock classics (during this early period, Igor Wakhevitch was also a great friend of Robert Wyatt et Mick Ratledge).

Published in 1973, the sumptuous "Hathor" marks a turning in IW's personal career. It was recorded after he met Terry Riley (the father of spiritualized minimalism). "Hathor" is deeply impregnated by magical and tellurical elements. In 1974, the surrealist painter Salvador Dali employed IW to write the music of his audiovisual "opera poeme" in 6 parts, the result is named "Etre Dieu". During the 80's Igor Wakhevitch decided to live in the south of India, he wrote musical scores for the Goethe Institute and the National Center of Performing Arts a Bombay (in 1991). IW's last publications are largely reserved to theatre, opera performances, epic electronic pieces for orchestrations and straight meditative synthezisers. All IW's career provides a subliminal collection of experimental electronic recordings. (source)