Recorded 006
New American Ethnic Music Volume 2: Spindizzy
Henry Flynt
Archival Recordings (1968-83)
We are extremely excited to release "New American Ehtnic Music Volume 2: Spindizzy" by Henry Flynt, which is the second release in our new series documenting the archival recordings of this previously obscure, genius musician. Volume one received broad critical acclaim, including a "top ten critics pick for 2001" in THE WIRE and numerous other reviews and articles. Volume 3 in the series, "Hillbilly Tape Music," will follow shortly. Before the publication of his music, Flynt was most often known as an (often distorted) footnote in art history, as the man who invented "Concept Art," Flynt's name in the early sixties for his formal attacks on logical and mathematics, often presented in art galleries. Flynt was initially (1962) a composer of the post-Cage school who quickly turned completely against modernist music and created his own Flynt genres, primarily through radicalizing Southern musical forms like Bluegrass, Country, and Country Blues-elevating them to an enchanted level, much as Coltrane did with the jazz of his time. His music is a parallel stream to his extremely distinct and radical philosophy (his primary work is as a radical intellectual, with visionary, wide-ranging work that is highly intellectually demanding). More about Flynt and his philosophy can be found at his web site, http://www.henryflynt.org

One note about Flynt, lest unhelpful inaccuracies continue. He has been mistakenly associated with the Fluxus art movement, of which he was never a member, and even has been claimed as a sort of trophy by Fluxus members. Flynt was NEVER a supporter of Fluxus, in fact he was a friend of Fluxus founder George Maciunis who published a few of his early works, and in a (very distorted way) he exerted a small influence on the movement (his wide-ranging political critiques of "European serious music" and of art itself-including Fluxus-caused a small rift in the movement). Classifying Flynt as Fluxus is totally unhelpful in understanding his highly singular work, which is simultaneously far more intellectually radical & serious than the Fluxus post-dada shenanigans, and also expresses a gritty & virtuosi musical sensibility which couldn't be farther from "Fluxus Music." The only reason this error has made it into print is the laziness of some historians who have trouble placing such a singular lone wolf figure in the stream of conformist art culture.

$14 (plus add $3.00 for postage in the US; $8 outside the U.S.).

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