Husk, a career-spanning double-LP retrospective marking Raglani’s “early period” (2004-2009), is both the artist’s “Best-of” collection*, as well as a document of a personal orientation within the canon of electronic music. As a devoted student of E.M. history and synthesis techniques, Joseph Raglani has spent the past decade in his St. Louis studio consuming and refiguring. While highly-informed, these tracks avoid simple derivation, the traces of influence are not easily decipherable; the common descriptors fall away. The sonic legacies orbiting the INA GRM axis cross paths with pop sensibilities more akin to the sensuous pulse of New Order. Raglani mines the expressiveness of this fertile boundary space. The compositions on Husk are dense featuring a palette of analog and digital electronic instruments as well as guitar, voice, pedal steel, organ, melodica. Disparate elements find a way to resonate to maximum emotive effect. The sonic energies are not bound to their sources, but are rather utilized for their ability to express.
One fourth of the material is available here for the first time; the remainder from private-press and small run releases has been remixed by Raglani and re-mastered by Greg Davis for presentation in this collection. Husk is Raglani’s second mass-market release following his 2008 CD Of Sirens Born released on Kranky Records. Artwork by Robert Beatty (Three Legged Race / Hair Police / Resonant Hole).
Originally Released on Vinyl In an edition of 500 copies with printed inner-sleeves.
*Featuring material from the following releases:
Pastiche Electronic (Pegasus Farms [Demo] CS, 2008)
May Tour 2009 Split With Steve Hauschildt (Pegasus Farms CD-R, 2009)
Oneism (IDES CS, 2007)
Empire Trilogy (No Label/Artist’s Edition, 2008)
Classically Sprained (Arbor CS, 2009)
Vanity Well (Chondritic Sound CS, 2009)
Raglani & Scenic Railroards (Gameboy / Pegasus Farms CD, 2005)
credits
released January 14, 2016
Joseph Raglani- Moog, Arp, Flower Electronics, Sequential Circuits, 4MS,Yamaha, Folktek and Ciat Lombarde Synthesizers, Eurorack Modular Synthesizer, Bass, Guitar and Voice.
Brad Sarno- Pedal Steel
Artwork by Robert Beatty
Mastered By Greg Davis
Originally released on Arbor March 2012
Sound designer and producer based in ST. Louis. Raglani has released albums for labels such as Editions Mego, Kranky, Spectrum Spools and many others. He has also composed music and created sound design for short films,documentaries, and a web series.
The real title of this album is "Carl Stone songs you can cry to." Sonali will make you dance, I guess, but then you'll start crying again after that. Paul Klee