James Tenney is dead

Long live James Tenney. One of my favorite modern composers, and one of the first boys to go to Bennington (MFA,) he got fed up with computer music early on but For Ann (Rising) and it's use of the Shepard Tone was one of the first moments of pure awesome I had. Audio illusions. Sigh. He also composed the fantastic Having Never Written a Note for Percussion which Sonic Youth played on Goodbye 20th Century. I was supposed to see him play gamelan stuff the summer I spent in North B, but I got a speeding ticket and sat on a chair and felt shitty instead. For what it's worth and not in the tiny obit., he also dated cat lady artist Carolee Schneemann and they did a nifty eros filmy at Bennington (I think?) called Fuses that I have somewhere. Also, he was in some early Stan Brakhage [also dead] films. Art super star. I think Heather even liked him.

Expect MP3s and youtube clips later. Frames from Fuses above.