Meredith Monk - Turtle Dreams (1983) [ECM New Series 1240]

Presentation by Ted Mills from All Music Guide___

A daring display of vocal gymnastics and a journey back to childhood when all sounds were wondrous, "Turtle Dreams" includes the title track composition for four voices (two men, two women) and four organs as well as shorter pieces featuring various combinations of voice, Casio, piano, miniMoog, and didgeridoo. Monk's work raises smiles as well as the hair on the back of the neck. Here she seems tapped into some primordial force – humming, babbling, chattering, all set to looping, funereal organ works of chromatic simplicity. Mesmerizing yet never mechanical, the side-long "Turtle Dreams" and "View 1" derive their pleasures from the infinite sounds of the human voice. The entire album accompanied a multimedia work where Monk and three other singer/dancers were intercut with shots of a turtle walking over various terrains (including miniature cities, looking like a monster movie). Comforting thoughts during any listen.

Meredith Monk voice, piano, organ, mini-moog, casio
Andrea Goodman voice
Paul Langland voice
Robert Een voice
Julius Eastman organ
Steve Lockwood organ
Collin Walcott organ, didjeridoo

Recorded June, July 1982 and January 1983
ECM New Series 1240

Tracklist
01. Turtle Dreams (Waltz) (17:50)
(Robert Een, Andrea Goodman, Paul Langland, Meredith Monk — Voices
Julius Eastman, Steve Lockwood, Meredith Monk, Collin Walcott — Organs)

02. View 1 (10:14)
(Meredith Monk — Voice, Piano, Mini-Moog, Casio
Collin Walcott — Didjeridoo)

03. Engine Steps (2:00)
(Meredith Monk — Voice, Piano, Mini-Moog, Casio
Collin Walcott — Didjeridoo)

04. Ester's Song (1:13)
(Meredith Monk — Voice, Piano, Mini-Moog, Casio
Collin Walcott — Didjeridoo)

05. View 2 (6:02)
(Meredith Monk — Voice, Piano, Mini-Moog, Casio
Collin Walcott — Didjeridoo)