The Pavilion Of Dreams

Description

During five decades, Harold Budd has been at the forefront of the American West Coast avant-garde. Born in Los Angeles, he studied with Gerald Strang, a student of Schoenberg, and began teaching at CalArts in 1970. While seeking his own voice, he was influenced by both abstract expressionist painters and John Cage and Morton Feldman. In his work, Budd foregrounds delicate and slow melodies, creating a new musical language based on "eternally beautiful music" and smooth surfaces.
In the early 70s, Budd began an extensive cycle of compositions that would constitute The Pavilion Of Dreams. For Budd, this album marks a new direction in his way of thinking about music: "The Pavilion Of Dreams erased my past. I consider it the birth of myself as a serious artist. It was like my Magna Carta."
Produced by Brian Eno in 1978, The Pavilion Of Dreams stands alongside another minimalist masterpiece also released that year, Music For 18 Musicians by Steve Reich. Budd's superb pieces reveal a lightness that draws the listener in, while sublime voices float like in a recurring dream. Featuring saxophonist Marion Brown and multi-instrumentalists Gavin Bryars and Michael Nyman, The Pavilion Of Dreams remains a masterclass in exquisite timbre and shimmering texture.
The Pavilion Of Dreams was both the last release on Brian Eno's Obscure label and a transition point towards his ambient series. This first reissue is recommended for fans of Ryuichi Sakamoto, Jon Hassell, or Mark Hollis…