Artist: Harold Budd . Elizabeth Fraser . Robin Guthrie . Simon Raymonde
LP: The Moon and the Melodies
Song: "Sea, Swallow Me"
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Song: "Why Do You Love Me?"
[ listen ]
Ambient composer and musician Harold Budd has died from COVID-19. I first heard Harold's music when he joined forces with Cocteau Twins for "The Moon and the Melodies," released toward the end of 1986, right after I'd started working at Budget Tapes & Records in Yakima, WA. Budd went on to collaborate with Cocteau Twins guitarist Robin Guthrie for other albums after the Twins were separated in 1996, and I've been reminding myself that I must hear these. The latest one, "Another Flower," was released just earlier this year.
In my senior year of high school, I had a highly unpleasant alarm clock that would begin buzzing faintly at first, but then the sound would grow in intensity until it seemed like I was about to be set upon by a flock of murder hornets. My solution was to queue up "Sea, Swallow Me" on the turntable across the room, and then slightly unplug my record player at the outlet next to my bed. (There was only one electrical outlet in my entire bedroom in that old farmhouse, and, fortunately, it happened to be right beside my bed.) Then, when the alarm began its light buzzing in the morning, I'd slap it down to stop it before it got any louder, and then I'd reach down to plug in my record player and slowly awaken for the day while listening to side one of "The Moon and the Melodies." It's a blissful memory, and I'd like to thank Harold Budd for getting me going each day in such a lovely way during my formative high school years. (I still don't see why class leadership chose Bon Jovi's "Livin' On a Prayer" as our graduation theme song, instead of "Sea, Swallow Me," as I suggested.) If God has even a shred of good taste (it's debatable; look around), Harold's own compositions surely were wafting through the clouds as he ascended to heaven yesterday.
Harold Budd
[ May 24, 1936 — December 8, 2020 ]
We will miss you, Harold.
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