Il Divano Dell’Orecchio

This edition of “Il divano dell’orecchio” also includes the book by Walter Marchetti titled “De musica inversa”, an instruction manual of both theory and practice for the proper and improper use of music. A method for perfecting oneself in composition annotated and commented upon by Gabriele Bonomo. The 180 page “De musica inversa” book is published in both English and Italian.

“Too true: in all music there are, in effect, a lot of sounds henceforth…more than that, too many; everything that we listen to has become heavy beyond measure, completely unbearable. Rather than chasing it we should look for how to escape from music. Everything in it is monolithic, frozen, and the notes of music which slowly, more or less, are thickening around the listeners wrap them all in dripping blankets of death.”

The LP sleeve reproduces a photo of the “Perpetuum mobile” performance at Musicalia in 1981. The full color insert reproduces the original “Vandalia” layout.

On the occasion of Walter Marchetti solo exhibition at 7022 Art Space in Milano, alga marghen very proudly presents the new edition limited to 80 numbered copies of “Il divano dell’orecchio”; a 5LP box set including “La caccia”, “In terram utopicam”, “Per la sete dell’orecchio”,  “Natura morta” and “Vandalia”, or the seminal works of Walter Marchetti issued on Cramps between 1974 and 1989.

“The most amazing thing about music is its exterior aspect. High, vertical, translucent, almost turgid, maybe a bit too monolithic. One should, in any case, give a lot of attention to the large number of interstices which lead to the centre of the ear, wherefrom sounds spread out through a dense network leading to more circuits which direct these same and their relationships directly to the brain, in a logic of musical articulation which is nothing less than frightening. Even if, to attentive listening, dominating all is the eye of silence”.

This edition is housed in distinct, newly designed full color box and includes 5 new LP-sleeve artworks and inserts. The box also includes for the forst time the 180-page book “De musica inversa”. After having been out of stock for the past 15 years, this unique edition if finally available again now in an edition of 80 numbered copies.

LP1 “La caccia”, includes the same materials as the original 1974 Cramps LP. The recording of “La Caccia”, one of the most radical in the neo-avantgarde panorama for 35 years, is divided in two tracks: “versione all’aria aperta” and “versione per uno spazio chiuso”. The sound is generated by hunting calls for birds and other animals. According to Steven Stapleton, this is one of the best records ever published.

The new LP sleeve reproduces the Cramps original LP layout. it also includes an insert with scores, photos of both the 1965 ZAJ performances and of Marchetti recording “La caccia”. A second color insert presents the composer recording “La caccia” as well as a graphic by Gianni Emilio Simonetti.

LP2 “In terram utopicam”, includes the same materials as the original 1978 Cramps LP, or “J’aimerais jouer avec un piano qui aurait une grosse queue” (1974/75) performed with the Zaj ollaborator Juan Hidalgo, as well as the estreme electronic pieces “Adversus” (Home-made electric music) (1966) and “Osmanthus fragrans” (Home-made electric music) (1973), two pieces which anticipate the entire movement of noise music emerging in the coming decades. Walter Marchetti is one of the most original and controversial pre-Fluxus authors. In this work he frees all of his sophisticated poeticism.

The new LP sleeve reproduces the Cramps original LP layout. it also includes an insert with the original scores of “J’aimerais jouer” and “Adversus”, as well as photos of the performance at the Venice Biennale. a second full color insert reproduces a photo of “Musica da camera” installation.

LP3 “Per la sete dell’orecchio” (1981), previously privately issued in 1984 by Marchetti himself as well as “Song for John Cage” (1985), never available on vinyl before. A deeply physycal document of action in space, fields recording and sound poetry. The LP sleeve reproduces the “Song for John Cage” score. A full color insert reproduces the original “Per la sete dell’orecchio” LP layout.

LP4 “Natura morta” (1980), was never available on vinyl before. A very simple sequence of piano accidents and, according to Robert Ashley, one of the most beautiful piano music ever recorded.

The LP sleeve reproduces a photo of the performance at Milanopoesia in 1988, as well as Marchetti’s text titled “In my music”. The full color insert with a photo of the “Natura morta” installation.

LP5, titled “Vandalia”, includes the previously un released track on vynil “Perpetuum mobile” (1981), a combination of fields recordings of frogs croaking and automobile traffic and “Le secche del delirio” (1989), a piano piece performed by Juan Hidalgo superimposed to recordings done in a pigsty. “Vandalia” Walter Marchetti is focusing his concrete and radical themes. Action Music!