In his Wire interview in issue 464, Los Angeles born Tokyo based composer Carl Stone describes how a job at Cal Arts library was one key influence towards his approach to composing. Between 1973–74 Stone worked in the library dubbing a wide variety of LPs onto tape, often with two or three disparate records being dubbed at once, creating interesting clashes and counterpoints.

“The idea of recontextualisation of music, the use of appropriation, which I started doing, sort of resulted from what I found while working in the Cal Arts music library,” says Stone. “The revelations of the exposure to all this different music and the collisions that happened, as I was making these archival copies, inspired me in a way, then piqued an interest in the use of appropriation and the use of reformulating and recontextualising music to create interesting results that challenge a listener in a number of different ways.”

The artist is currently in the process of trawling through his archive of work in order to compile a retrospective release marking his 70th birthday and 50 years of activity. Here Stone puts together a taster of what to expect from the forthcoming compilation to be released via Unseen Worlds, sharing some exclusive tracks in the process.

Read Emily Bick's interview with Carl Stone in full in The Wire 464. Wire subscribers can also read the article online via the digital archive.

Tracklist

“Wave-Heat”
From Various LA Mantra II
(Trance Port Tapes)

“Au Jus”
From Stolen Car
(Unseen Worlds)

“Banteay Srey”
From Electronic Music From The Eighties And Nineties
(Unseen Worlds)

“Wall Me Do”
From Four Pieces
(EAM)

“Mo Chica”
Previously unreleased

“Sen Yo”
Previously unreleased