Good evening, and welcome once again to A Man in a Room, Gambling.

September 22, 2023 11:12 AM

To celebrate the eightieth birthday of UK composer Gavin Bryars, Leo Chadburn of The Quietus interviews him about his selection of ten pieces from a long and hugely varied career.
posted by thatwhichfalls (4 comments total)

I unreservedly love Gavin Bryars.

I was working as the entertainment editor for the Ryerson (now TMU) student newspaper, The Eyeopener, when Metallica's Live Shit - Binge and Purge came out, and was covering a signing event at the local HMV. Killing time, I wandered up to the third floor and the classical section, where Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet was on a listening post.

I was transfixed. Fuck Metallica. I stood there listening to it for the duration, and almost passed out when Tom Waits -- I was a big fan via Bone Machine -- came in near the end.

Bought the CD on the spot, and didn't miss a Bryars release until about 2010. I've kind of lost track since, unfortunately. As much as I thought Jesus' Blood was the apex of music, the composition I come back to over and over and over is The Sinking of the Titanic.

Love Bryars. Thank you for posting this.
posted by Shepherd at 1:19 PM on September 22, 2023 [6 favorites]

Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet was my favorite Gavin Bryan's composition though The Sinking of of the Titanic was up there for me. That Obscure Records string of Brian Eno's Discreet Music and his take on Pachelbel's Canon was the start of it all for me. Let it be noted that it all started here with Kokoryu, who is, as I sadly found today, is no longer with us. Now that is a huge loss a far as I am concerned.
posted by y2karl at 2:23 PM on September 22, 2023 [3 favorites]

I had a similar introduction to Bryars through Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet. Some time around 2018 or so, a podcast I listen to recommended it. I duly found it on YouTube, pressed play, and everything around me suddenly stopped as the music expanded and sucked me in. I can listen to it when I’m sad and it will leave me sobbing, or listen to it when happy and it will leave me feeling cleansed. There is something so pure about it.
posted by greycap at 2:24 PM on September 22, 2023 [1 favorite]

Slightly related: this documentary about the rise of experimental music
posted by Kosmob0t at 9:48 PM on September 22, 2023