Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece Company, 1974-1976
Cuneiform Records CD Rune 147 (www.cuneiformrecords.com)
In the face of massive consolidation by the record industry, it’s nice to see some labels continuing to be bold: releasing prolifically and remaining daring in their selections of artists to champion. Maryland’s Cuneiform Records is a wonderfully eclectic imprint that puts out jazz, prog, electronic, and experimental music of a variety of stripes both new and old, A recent treasure is their reissue of music by 70s synthesizer ensemble Mother Mallard. Composer/performers David Borden and Steve Drews, joined by keyboardist Judy Borsher, used then-new analog synth technology to craft soundscapes that combined downtown experimentalism and minimalism.
“C-A-G-E Part II” was inspired by the group’s one-time collaboration with the Merce Cunningham Company in 1972. Enthused by performing a Cage work at the event, Borden created this motoric, oscillating piece, based on the letters of Cage’s name, as a sixtieth birthday tribute to the composer. It resembles the hypnotic character of some of Cage’s piano music – especially In a Landscape. “Downtown” certainly lives up to its title, recalling the early music of Philip Glass in its slow-moving harmonic rhythm and starkly limited pitch and gestural vocabulary. While still obsessed with ostinati, “Oleo Strut” is a bit more ambient in demeanor. Mother Mallard explores the potentialities of their equipment here, crafting a variety of beguiling textures with a formidable array of analog keyboards. Despite all the progress made in digital media, some of the sounds made by “vintage” synths – now period instruments – were wonderful and remain inimitable. Portable Masterpiece Company is a great trip down memory lane.
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