Philippe Besombes

Third volume in MIO's Besombes reissue program, following Libra & Pole. First time on CD. Features recordings made in France 1972-1979. A chemist by training, Philippe Besombes was engaged in the French avant-garde scene from the early 1970s. Abandoning his doctoral degree for his pioneering work with new electronics in different musical contexts, he supported himself through the seventies creating the sounds for theater and ballet, and was a well-known audio engineer in the French contemporary concert scene. Perhaps best known for his group Hydravion, Besombes still records and releases music at his studio in Versailles. This 1976 release includes early ballet music that was originally recorded between 1974-1975 for several contemporary ballet groups in Paris. The recording was assisted by Jean Louis Rizet, with whom Besombes was then working in his recording studio. Bonus tracks include 2 early pieces from 1972 (recorded during his time engineering for Stockhausen, Nono and others at the Festival d¹Art Contemporain de La Rochelle) and thirty additional minutes of unreleased ballet music from 1975, which is among his best work for theater.