source file: m1383.txt Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1998 09:59:16 -0700 Subject: Silver Apples From: Aline Surman Talk about your microtonal "pop" music; I just saw Silver Apples last nite, and what a hoot they are. They were actually on the scene about 1967, and made two albums (both of which I still have on vinyl); they have now reformed, and have two new CD's out. Simeon is the leader, and he plays with a drummer. Simeon originally played this strange handmade rig of oscillators and such, which he built himself...last nite, he had the homemade stuff, augmented by keyboard synths to get samples and such. He plays killer oscillator solos over very intense grooves, but what's so great is that his solos are way outside the 12 tone system; it sounds like a very intuitive sense of melody and pitch, and it somehow works and sounds very natural. I kept thinking that Hendrix would approve, because it was very heavy in a rock sense, yet totally original and heartfelt, without any sense of trying to be commercial. Simeon is way into this, and they are a very interesting group. I think their website is www.silverapples.com...check them out if you like whacked out rock. As far as microtonal film soundtracks, "Forbidden Planet" is a top masterpiece, and again it's really unique and uncontrived. The Barrons (Bebe and Louis) built circuitry for each character in the movie, and were interested in sort of random effects; Louis said he wanted his circuits to do things at random; he liked being surprised. I've never heard anything quite like it. The Musician's Union made some noise because they were not sure if it was "music," so in the credits the music is called electronic tonalities. It is one of those ageless pieces; it doesn't sound any different now than it did then, it doesn't sound like part of it's "time"...Hstick