Rain Music

The Holmes Archive of Electronic Music

Episode 85

Rain Music

Playlist

1. 1. Dean Evenson, “Thunder Intro” from Forest Rain (1993 Soundings of the Planet). 0:28
   2. Ulrich Schnauss, “Molfsee” from Far Away Trains Passing By (2002 City Centre Offices). Written and produced by German artists Ulrich Schnauss. Schnauss is also a current member of Tangerine Dream, joining in 2014 and working with a renewed lineup since the death of original TG member Edgar Frose in 2015. 8:07
   3. Ana Roxanne, “It's A Rainy Day On The Cosmic Shore” from ~ ~ ~ (2019 Leaving Records). Limited edition cassette release. Ana Roxanne is an intersex Southeast Asian musician born and raised in the Bay area. Some low-fi and hi-fi rain sounds and synthesis. 5:03
   4. Paul Beaver and Bernard Krause, “Ragnarök” from Ragnarök (1969 Limelight). The duo’s first album of electronic music following the release of their Nonesuch Guide to Electronic Music (1968). They feature the Moog Modular synthesizer throughout and use it to synthesize the sounds of rain and thunder on this track. 3:22
   5. Dean Evenson, “Thunder Streams” from Forest Rain (1993 Soundings of the Planet). Everson has been producing soothing electronic and flute sounds for many years, this example is from 1993 and includes rain and thunder effects. Native and silver flutes, keyboards, Dean Evenson; harp, Dudley Evenson; cello, Jonathan Kramer; guitar, Tim McHugh; percussion, Stuart Glasser. 6:20
   6. Mystic Moods Orchestra, introductory sounds of the storm and the sea from One Stormy Night (1966 Phillips). 0:52
   7. Steve Birchall, “Summer Memories” from Reality Gates (1973 Poseidon Electronic Music Studio). An obscure and interesting album of privately produced electronic music from the early 1970s. Billed as "electronic meditations by Steve Birchall." Equipment used was a potpourri of systems, effects, and an EMS VCS-3 synthesizer: Ampex mm 1000 16 track recorder; DBX noise reduction; Spectrasonics console; Studer A-80 recorder; Eventide Clockworks Instant Phaser; Cooper Time Cube; EMT reverb; Neumann VMS 70-SX68 computerized lathe; EMS VCS-3 (Putney) synthesizer. 10:49
   8. Agostino Nirodh Fortini (Nirodh), “Aquatic Round” from Suoni Immaginari (2020 Black Sweat Records). Italian artist and release. Composed, recorded, and produced by Agostino Nirodh Fortini. 2:52
   9. Mystic Moods Orchestra, “A Dream" from One Stormy Night (1966 Phillips). In the mid-sixties, recording engineer and sound recordist Brad Miller had the brilliant idea of combining the recorded sounds of nature with sweeping, orchestral renditions of popular music. This was a series of albums intended as background mood music for couples. The subtitle on the cover of One Stormy Night is “Whoever you are, you hold in your heart the memory of…One Stormy Night.” On the back cover, it says, “A spectacular thunderstorm, the sound of rain and romantic music combine to create One Stormy Night. The Mystic Moods Orchestra has many releases in to the early 1970s, at least two of which utilized the Moog Modular synthesizer. This album, however, is pure field recordings creatively combined with music. 4:16
   10. Sanford Ponder, “Frontier” from Etosha - Private Music In The Land Of Dry Water (1985 Private Music). Arranged, produced, written, Fairlight CMI Synthesizer, Yamaha DX-7 Synthesizer, Roland GR-707 Synthesizer, Sanford Ponder; piano, Clyde Criner. 9:37
   11. D. Emmanuel, “Rain Forest Music” from Rain Forest Music (1981 North Star Productions). Private recording of electronic and acoustical music with field recording sound effects. Composed, arranged, performed, recorded by, Yairi Acoustical Guitar, Effects, 3 Sequential Circuits Pro-One Synthesizers, Crumar organ, J. D. Emmanuel. Recorded at Emmanuel's studio in Houston. Tropical birds were recorded at Houston Zoo Tropical Bird Aviary. “Rain and surf, gifts from Mother Nature. This music can be used for deep relaxation, meditation and as background for massage and counseling.” 22:00
   12. Thom Holmes, thunder record skip from a Mystic Moods Orchestra album. 0:55
   13. Hans-Joachim Roedelius, “Regenmacher” from Durch Die Wüste (Through the Desert) (1978 Sky Records). Percussion, Bass, Keyboards, Hans-Joachim Roedelius; Synthesizer (Synthesizermelodie), Möbius; EMS Synthi, Percussion, Konrad Plank. Recorded and mixed with Konrad Plank in his studio in May 1976, small changes made in January 1978 prior to release. A German electronic composer and member of Cluster in this first solo album transitions to a period of acoustic music, but there are synths being used on this track. 6:36
   14. Thom Holmes, rolling, distant thunder, field recording. 0:59
   15. Yavomag, Rubikdice & Chilx, “Tokyo Rain” from The Ronin EP (2022 Yavomag, Rubikdice & Chilx). House music with a rainy vibe. 2:23
   16. Thom Holmes, crack of thunder field recording.0:52
   17. Dean Elliott And His Orchestra, “Rain” from Zounds! What Sounds! (1962 Capitol). A funny relic from the days when mixing sounds effects into music was a fresh idea. Very cleverly edited by Phil Kaye; Producer, John Palladino. 2:49
   18. Thom Holmes, “Rain Drone” an alternate version and test for a track I later released called Requiem for the Rain (2016 not released). In this piece, I started with the sound of rainfall that I recorded and then processed it using the synthesizer component of MetaSynth to transform the raindrops and downpour into drones and harmonic points. All of the sounds in this work are derived from processing the sound of rain. 12:29
   19. Thom Holmes, thunder, field recording. 1:15

   20. Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch, “Rain” from Blade Runner 2049 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)(2017 Epic). Cello, Simone Vitucci, Vocals, Tristan Schulze; Guitar, Owen Gurry; exotic instruments, Chas Smith; Musical Assistance, Cynthia Park; Soundtrack Album Produced By, Ashley Culp, Kayla Morrison, Michael Hodges; Synth Programming, Hans Zimmer; Sampling Team, Raul Vega; Digital Instruments Design, Mark Wherry; Synth Design, Howard Scarr; Vocals, Avi Kaplan. 2:26

Opening and closing messages voiced by Anne Benkovitz. Additional opening, closing, and other incidental music by Thom Holmes.

See my blog for the Bob Moog Foundation.

For additional notes, please see my blog, Noise and Notations.