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Hear more cheap listens! Even more!
In that moment, it didn’t even matter what its classically-inspired electronica sounded like. All I knew was that I had the privilege of seeing an old man, decked in a wig and cravat, holding headphones in the most dignified way you could while boasting penny loafers in front of a massive sound system. In other words, this anachronistic "Pimp My Bach" couldn’t have made a better first impression. What's even better is that, upon placing needle to record, my initial impression of this vinyl lasted.
The album kicks ass. Not only did I get to spend an entire hour of my day listening to the most intense fetishization of electronic ballet, but this entire album was like listening to a collective tribute to Jane Austen, Pink Floyd and Super Smash Bros. Equal parts ridiculous and impressive, I am still utterly mesmerized by the sheer will and talent of the performers.
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$1 Record Reviews: Switched-on Bach View on Instagram
The backside of the record’s sleeve reveals some of the story behind this bold creation: “Bach’s works have aways exerted a continuous magnetic attraction on musicians, and, even today, they repeatedly return to the study of his art to learn more about their own art. It is only natural, then, that today’s electronic composers have continued this tradition.”
I’m still not entirely certain that electronic Bach is entirely natural, but nevertheless, I am thrilled that it exists, and, coming from a girl who has no knowledge of classical music past the level of sixth-grade wind instruments, this is saying something.
The style is instinctively modern, yet it carries out the classical genre’s baroque features in earnest. Although I often found myself wondering whether I had been placed in a strange alternate universe where Disney’s “It's a Small World” played 24/7, it offered a strange peace of mind as I focused on schoolwork. Somehow, the electronic symphony acts well as white noise –– so well, actually, I was able to bust out an essay in two hours flat.
To my roommate’s dismay, listening to this record will probably become an essay writing ritual for the remainder of my college career. Not only did I get a good laugh out of it, but Trans-Electronic Music Productions clearly has my Bach. And to be perfectly honest, their amp-filled rendition of “Brandenburg Concerto no. 3” is arguably better than the original. Sorry, not sorry.
Reach the reporter at aplante@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @aimeenplante
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