Minimalism is a very broad field, far broader and probably far deeper than most people imagine, which contributes to the descriptive difficulties. Probably the first publicized definition of the minimalist genre was by Tom Johnson, a music critic for The Village Voice some 35 years ago, and which can be found in a well-written Wikipedia entry here.
To understand this CD more fully, I’d suggest a brief sojourn down the Wikipedia path. Although Wikipedia is not, by any standards, the gospel on any subject, it does contain a vast amount of very useful knowledge and facts, as well as opinions ranging from astute and erudite to silly and just plain wrong. A little side reading, however, can set one on the straight and narrow. Plainly put, start with Wikipedia. If you think you’d like to learn more about this subject or any of the people making music on it, consult a verifiable and accountable article or book.
Back to this CD/book combination. Rune Kristofferson, based on the contents of this package, seems to me to be striving diligently to put out quality projects, with little regard for the number of groups involved, except to keep the number manageable. His comments on where Rune’s been and where the label is going are obviously well-thought-out views, and show a great deal of thought and consideration have gone into producing ambitious products of high quality, readability and listenability. No junk here, I can assure you.
As I mentioned, this was my first experience with Rune Grammofon, and it will certainly not be my last. Highly recommended.
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