Terry Riley - The Columbia Recordings (4-CD box set): The definitive reissue of Terry Riley’s pioneering works for Columbia Masterworks. This deluxe 4-CD box set released by Sony Music brings together Terry Riley’s essential Columbia recordings, by a visionary composer whose influence on minimalist and electronic music continues to shape generations of artists. Carefully presented and enriched with archival material, this collection is an essential testament to the most transformative period of Terry Riley’s career, where the spirit of innovation met the possibilities offered by high fidelity. Far more than a simple collection of recordings, this box set is a rare immersion into an era when the avant-garde found its place in the studios of major labels. From hypnotic improvisations on electric keyboard and saxophone to the revolutionary use of analog delay, each track is infused with the spirit of experimentation. The box set opens with the original recording of In C (1968), captured in the legendary Columbia studio on 30th Street by sound engineer Fred Plaut, and includes four fundamental works by Terry Riley that helped shape not only the minimalist movement, but also the musical avant-garde of the late 20th century. Designed for collectors, this box set includes: The Columbia recording of In C (1968), A Rainbow In Curved Air, Church of Anthrax (in collaboration with John Cale of Velvet Underground), and Shri Camel Rare archival photographs from the 30th Street studio sessions A 50-page booklet containing: Unpublished testimonies from David Behrman, original producer of In C and A Rainbow In Curved Air An essay by Thomas Welsh, Riley’s longtime manager and archivist, a recognized specialist in 20th-century music The reproduction of the texts and notes appearing on the original vinyl sleeves This reissue pays tribute not only to Terry Riley’s unique contribution to contemporary music, but also to the cultural conditions that made these recordings possible: a label willing to take artistic risks, a community of radical composers, and an audience in search of new sonic experiences. An essential item for any serious collection devoted to 20th-century music.