Whilst it’s unnecessary to break down each disc, it is certainly worth noting the remarkable, complex variation between them, yielding a radiant, immersive spectrum of complex noise and rhythm which intersects so many strands of music that we hold dear, that it’s kinda frying our heads to be honest. He would release his first, privately pressed Sonambient record in 1970, and, during his final months in 1978, produced a further 10 albums from his archive, which were posthumously issued following his burial beneath a giant gong behind his Sonambient barn.Īfter remaining untouched until the late ‘90s, this box set collects all 11 albums - which have since become serious collectors items - for the first time. So enraptured by their possibilities and transcendent appeal, Bertoia dedicated the next 20 years to developing the barn and what he he defined as Sonambient sound, often recording the results with 4 overhead mics onto 1/4” tape. Beginning in the late ’50s, after finding financial security with the commercial success of his famous Diamond chair design, he was able to devote himself to sculpture, and, in the ‘60s began experimenting with “sounding sculptures” of vertical metal rods on flat bases that created naturally complex washes of harmonic overtones when played by hand, or even wind. Honestly, this set has completely destroyed us.Įstablished as a renowned American printmaker, sculptor and industrial designer, Harry Bertoia (1915 - 1978) spent the last twenty years of his life dedicated to making these jaw-dropping recordings. Every so often, an album or collection crosses our path and makes us wonder how the hell we've managed to miss out on something so important for so long. Celebrating 100 years of Harry Bertoia, the divine Sonambient box set firmly fits that description presenting a comprehensive overview of the esteemed sculptor-cum-sound artist’s elemental, near-sacred, long-form recordings of resonant metal rod sculptures and gongs and their incredibly lush harmonic overtones at his barn near Bally, Pennsylvania, USA.

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