Performs Raymond Scott’s Soothing Sounds for Baby

Dylan Henner (AD 93, Phantom Limb) returns to Dauw with ‘performs Raymond Scott’s Soothing Sounds for Baby’, a new album where he reinterprets a selection of Raymond Scott’s iconic work originally released in 1962. The album will be released on May 31 and available on limited edition vinyl and digital. Artwork is provided by Skrew Studio in reference to the original releases.

The contributions of Raymond Scott to our world are immeasurable and pioneering, and his records still sound totally unique. But one could say that, viewed through the lens of what we now understand to be “ambient” music, the meaning of his compositions have changed since their inception. Now, we (mistakenly or not) see them as archival or documentarian pieces preserving an era of early electronic music and the capabilities and limitations of the technology of its time. It has become an artefact, a means to an end. So, with huge reverence to Scott’s foresight and genius, Dylan Henner wanted to recontextualise those same ideas into the mindset and studio of a musician in 2024, to create a version of what Scott left us that corresponds with Henner’s own perception of this music’s purpose: soothing baby. He returned to the original records only once or twice, transcribing melodies and taking notes on timbre, before setting off his own journey.

“I didn’t want to take too much from Scott or his music, as it is untouchable, both creatively and culturally. But I wanted to offer my baby (and any babies whose parents play this record) something soothing and meaningful of my own.” Dylan Henner