Search - Raymond Scott, Jim Henson, Dorothy Collins :: Manhattan Research, Inc.

Manhattan Research, Inc.
Raymond Scott, Jim Henson, Dorothy Collins
Manhattan Research, Inc.
Genres: Dance & Electronic, Jazz, Special Interest, New Age, Pop, Rock, Classical
 
  •  Track Listings (36) - Disc #1
  •  Track Listings (33) - Disc #2

The goofy chamber jazz of bandleader Raymond Scott lent itself perfectly to cartoon soundtracks ("Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals," anyone?), but, at heart, Scott was a serious composer. His electronic-music fo...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Raymond Scott, Jim Henson, Dorothy Collins
Title: Manhattan Research, Inc.
Members Wishing: 6
Total Copies: 0
Label: Basta Records
Original Release Date: 5/16/2000
Re-Release Date: 7/11/2000
Album Type: Import
Genres: Dance & Electronic, Jazz, Special Interest, New Age, Pop, Rock, Classical
Styles: Electronica, Swing Jazz, Easy Listening, Historical Periods, Modern, 20th, & 21st Century, Instruments, Electronic
Number of Discs: 2
SwapaCD Credits: 2
UPC: 608917907827

Synopsis

Amazon.com
The goofy chamber jazz of bandleader Raymond Scott lent itself perfectly to cartoon soundtracks ("Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals," anyone?), but, at heart, Scott was a serious composer. His electronic-music forays have been previously documented (the three volumes of Soothing Sounds for Baby), but nothing captures his diverse sound creations as well as Manhattan Research Inc. This previously unreleased two-CD collection features Scott's handmade electronics, top-secret creations he'd use to create ambient-sounding commercial jingles, as well as the odd soundtrack with budding filmmaker/Muppeter Jim Henson. Scott was impossibly ahead of his time: a snippet for "Baltimore Gas & Electric Co." could have been written by Terry Riley; "Limbo: The Organized Mind" is a hint at musique concrete; and 1960's "In the Hall of the Mountain Queen" could easily fit on an Aphex Twin disc. Gorgeous packaging, previously unreleased photos, and liner notes by Irwin Chusid, Robert Moog, and others make this a must for fans of electronic music. --Jason Verlinde

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CD Reviews

An Essential Volume of the History of the Future of Music
Brendan Vox | 01/30/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is absolutely necessary for anyone who regards himself or herself as an authority on matters of electronic and avant-garde music. To call this music experimental discredits the genius of Scott. Experimental is "try this and see what happens". This music is purely extracted from Raymond Scott's mind. A vast majority of musicians (particularly in the field of electronica) are limited in their creativity by the technology of time. To remedy this, Scott invented his own incredibly advanced proto-synth instruments. This man was the mentor to Bob Moog himself.



But enough drooling hero-worship.



This album is not for everyone. I played it for a class of my peers (largely republicans) and they declared it "the worst music in the world". For the sake of historical compilation, it is the second longest album i own (defeated by Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness). And because this is not actually an album, it has no flow or direction. So, there's no real reason to listen from beginning to end (although it can be a mind-blowing experience). Also, the quality of several recordings can be very aggravating. During MT/ST the sound of feedback makes me think my cell phone is ringing. There isn't a ringing sound, I mean it makes the same sound as when my phone rings near my CD player. Feedback. And in several other tracks there is a background sound that can best be likened to the buzzing of a printer that begins to print and finds itself out of paper. These minor grievances hardly detract from the sonic genius of the music. But i digress...



This compilation is music in its purest form: art. Most of it was never heard by the public, it was made for Scott's whims and fancies. Unrestrained by musical trends, corporate evil, or the limits of technology, this album is anything but Pop."
Great!
Barry P. Saranchuk | Moosic, PA United States | 10/30/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Loads of info in the booklet (with photos and ads,etc),and more importantly....LOADS OF FUN LISTENING!

This is furturistic music that influenced people from Moog ,to Henson,to Stevie Wonder(and Mowtown)!

A treat to hear,read ,and see! Just GREAT!"
A look back at the future
Steve Lenius | Minneapolis/St. Paul area, MN United States | 02/11/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)

"My grandfather was a fan of Raymond Scott's quirky, idiosyncratic but charming music from the 30s and 40s ("Powerhouse," "Toy Trumpet," etc.), and I grew up watching Warner Bros. cartoons that used Scott's music in the background. "Manhattan Research" shows another side of Scott--still quirky, idiosyncratic and charming, but also revolutionary and visionary. The music on these two CDs was way ahead of its time, and I doubt that listeners today can fully appreciate how stunningly original his compositions must have sounded when they were new. Electronically-created music has progressed so far and become so ubiquitous that today we often don't even stop to consider the technology that goes into making it. But listening to this pioneering music, and seeing the beautiful book showing many of Scott's music-making machines, gives me a new appreciation for the people (Scott, Robert Moog, Wendy Carlos, et al) who got this particular technological and musical train rolling.



Being in the ad biz, I also find this music interesting because of what it says about midcentury advertising. The future prophesied in many of the selections on the discs should have arrived by now, but I'm still waiting for it."