The Columbia Recordings [4CD]

To mark the 90th birthday of Terry Riley, the founder of minimal music, Sony Classical is releasing an edition of early recordings of his groundbreaking compositions.

He is regarded as the pioneer of minimal music - Terry Riley. His central work "In C" for variable instrumentation triggered a veritable revolution towards a new simplicity in music in the mid-1960s. Riley, born in California, will be 90 years old this year.

The recordings made for the Columbia label at the end of the 1960s are now being released for the first time. These four CDs also document a time when the avant-garde found a home in the studios of the major labels and pioneering artists like Riley were given space to explore uncharted sonic territory.

From his captivating improvisations with the electric keyboard and saxophone to his pioneering use of analog tape delay, every track on this album is imbued with the spirit of experimentation.

Beginning with the original 1968 recording of "In C", recorded at Columbia's legendary 30th Street Studio by esteemed engineer Fred Plaut, the set includes four seminal works by Riley - in addition to "In C", "A Rainbow in Curved Air", "Church of Anthrax" (in collaboration with John Cale of the equally significant avant-pop group Velvet Underground) and "Shri Camel". These works not only shaped the minimalist movement, but also a large part of the avant-garde landscape of the late 20th century.

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