Douglas Lilburn

Major historical artifact of electronic music, issued on CD for the first time.This boxset features 3 CDs of audio, plus a bonus DVD disc; packaged with 2 bookets of notes & photos. Impressively done. Douglas Lilburn (1915-2001) is considered 'the father of New Zealand music'. After considerable success, he rejected composing for acoustic musical instruments and turned wholly to the creation of electronic works because he felt they would more accurately portray New Zealand in its own right, without reference to European musical forms. Some works are purely electronic; others were inspired by the natural sounds of the sea or bush, or the writings of leading New Zealand writers such as Allen Curnow, Denis Glover and Alistair Campbell. The works, dating from 1963-1975, have been restored to a high sonic standard for digital release at Atoll's Auckland facility. The set includes a DVD containing two 4-channel works by lilburn, with all extant film material of the composer, plus an informative sound interviews and photographs. [the DVD is PAL format, region free; not compatable with most US NTSC players]
From Bruce Russell: I am now more than ever convinced that Douglas Lilburn was the real deal. Because he was willing, as an established composer, to leap into the unknown realm of electronic sound, to learn a new language, a new way of working, he produced a body of music capable of inspiring listeners as diverse as his academic contemporaries and self-taught, anti-compositional philistines such as me. Now hopefully the rest of the world has the chance to be inspired, and to be thankful, as I am, that douglas lilburn heeded the call. To paraphrase Mark E Smith again: Composer, heal thyself!