Iannis Xenakis - Bohor

The title Bohor is based on the subject of a medieval song cycle, "Bohor the Outcast," who was a valiant knight of the Round Table. Bohor is an 8-channel tape work and was Xenakis's first large-scale electroacoustic work, running approximately 23 minutes in length. The source materials for this work are a Laotian mouth organ known as the khen and various bracelets from Eastern countries, which Xenakis does not fully specify but are conceivably foot bracelets with small crotal bells attached. His technique of transforming and amplifying elements of very soft sounds in order to bring out their hidden structure is apparent throughout the work.

Sketches of Bohor reveal that Xenakis was quite concerned with the spatial orientation of the speakers as well. Indeed, Xenakis has said that the experience of Bohor should be like standing inside of a large bell. Xenakis traveled to Japan the previous year and was influenced by its traditional and sacred music. He has deliberately said little about Bohor so that "the imagination of the listener is left so free to choose a story or to image its own way or follow an itinerary."

I do NOT own the copyright for the music that I upload and will remove it immediately upon request from copyright holder or band.

[BastienLopez-nu]

J adore ! C est de la musique industrielle avant l heure ! Xenakis est mort il y a plus de 20 ans ! Mais sa musique vieillit bien... et c est moderne et ça date de plus de 60 ans ! Un génie et un précurseur de la noise musique ! Oui je voudrais que des gens ecoute sa musique.

[miaouew]

I read Garth Marenghi books while listening to this

[giorgosasimakopoulos]

This is my life.chaos fights order.war fights peace and oppossite.I am Greek i can relate directly to Xenakis.We have the same mindset and history.There is no end.

[the_fifth_wheel]

Greek Gods communicating thought waves through time and space

[philipgoddard-composer]

To me, this is as riveting and bewitching as a piece of music can be. But undoubtedly only those people with sufficient depth of awareness and mental flexibility would be able to relate to it. Over the years (I first heard a different and somewhat less effective version of it in 1970), it has further grown on me, and is a seriously awe-inspiring experience. If only more people could let go of their preconceived notions of what music should be like, and would let themselves open to this incandescent wonder - an amazing achievement!

[philipmans]

QUITE EXITING!!! I LOVE STRANGE SOUNDING PLACES.

[Citizen_J]

Now that my black candles are lit, and i have a fire extinguisher on hand, i am ready for a nightmare inducing atmosphere

[briancornish]

The screaming convergence at the end is terrifying.

[DimaKats]

I've been reading books about Xenakis, I have a mémoir to write about him, and I've been listening to many of his weird works, this one being one of the weirdest. I like!

[Gnosophon]

A very profound, hypnotic and transcendental piece of music that has the power to transport one to timeless liminal spaces !!

[briancornish]

Like Stockhausen, if you have not actually lived through war, you are unlikely to have a feeling for this. I haven't of course, but this helps me to imagine war, and so to begin to try to reconcile myself to our times.

[BastienLopez-nu]

Je m en remets pas ! Spk throbbing gristle Whitehouse ne surpasse pas le génie du compositeur. J adore ! Je dois redecouvrir ces œuvres. Ça date peut être mais tellement en avance...

[johcafra]

And how, you may ask, did I learn of this? By way of a chance encounter with a reviewer's comment that this, or at least part of this, was an inspiration for a sound effect used in Star Trek: The Original Series. You be the judge.

[colinhamilton]

It's similar to finding someone who likes to dip cheese and onion crisps in to strawberry ice combination of flavours for sure but friends would have maybe one being sociable but wouldn't pick up on the seems many listening to this would not get past hearing pipes and metal being we would hear them being "played" in an intentional manner

[chatboss]

I'm assuming this audio has been compressed in some fashion, my textbook characterizes it as going to absurd loudness in volume by its finale but it doesn't feel like it does.Kinda underwhelmed.

[blackoutcherryzz]

What was used to make these sounds? I’m curious.. sounds like some sort of glass or metal.. Glass against metal?

[Ploddypop]

Is this the inspiration for the Mars Volta's Frances the mute song/single opening?

[DannoBoston]

I told my local used record store dealer to set aside any vintage electronic music for me. I had never heard of this before today when I brought it home. The vinyl is in pristine condition which is rare for a 50 year old LP. I'm absolutely certain that I am the first person to listen to this particular copy all the way through. And I only did it so I could brag about getting through it all. This straight up sucks and I don't know how this got a release. Save your ears and your time and go listen to something that isn't a bunch of random noise that sounds like ghosts dragging bags of silverware up and down a flight of stairs accompanied by a foghorn followed by a windstorm.

[stuartmenziesfarrant]

Proof that the 'Frankfurt School' are full of it! Chaos is not an aesthetic.