Composers and synth players
Paul Beaver and
Bernie Krause were among the most high-profile electronic music acts of the late '60s, recording a series of LPs distinguished not only by their groundbreaking studio advances but also by the presence of notables including
Gerry Mulligan and
Mike Bloomfield.
Krause -- a onetime member of the legendary folk group
the Weavers -- was working as a staff producer at Elektra Records when he met
Beaver, a former jazz musician; under the name
Beaver & Krause, they began assembling electronic pieces employing spoken-word passages, acoustic instruments, tape loops and improvisational techniques, debuting in 1968 with The Nonesuch Guide to Electronic Music. After 1969's Ragnarok Electric Funk, the duo issued In a Wild Sanctuary a year later; 1971's Gandharva -- recorded live in San Francisco's Grace Cathedral and featuring cameos from
Mulligan and
Bloomfield as well as
Bud Shank and
Ronnie Montrose -- was the most popular of their releases. After 1972's All Good Men,
Beaver recorded the solo LP Perchance to Dream; sadly, it was his final work -- he suffered a fatal heart attack on January 16, 1975 at the age of 49.
Krause later resurfaced as a noted expert in environmental sound recording. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
Green links represent an available CD.
Red links represent a CD that is not currently available.
Gandharva/In a Wild Sanctuary