Secret History of Rock. The Most Influential Bands You've Never Heard by Roni Sarig Page B

obsessed with the mathematics of music that he began to lose interest in composing. Nonetheless, in 1983 his explorations bore fruit with Symphony No. 3 . Subtitled, Music for the first 127 intervals of the harmonic series , the piece attempted to amplify the sounds that occur naturally (though inaudibly) in nature. “At the time I saw the harmonic series as something that existed in nature, so I wanted to see, ‘How did nature write music?’” he says. “Shouldn’t it sound like chaos? And out of chaos comes order. The harmonic series is an infinite series, and it’s also an infinite mind fuck.”
    After leaving influential downtown New York label 99 Records, which released his first recordings, Branca formed Neutral Records to release Symphony No. 3 . During its brief life, Neutral released the debuts by both the Swans and Sonic Youth, as well as other post-no wave groups. Through these groups, younger bands were exposed to Branca’s unconventional guitar tunings and dense guitar layering.

    Sean O’Hagen, High Llamas:
    I’m very disinterested in guitar-based music, it constantly lets people down. Whenever music starts to get interesting and experimental there’s always a conservative rock-based movement to drag it back to year zero. But Branca held my confidence in guitars over the years. He was one of the people that redefined a tainted instrument, as far as I was concerned.
    Branca continues to use electric guitars in his compositions, though by 1985 he had begun writing for orchestral instruments as well (which required him, at 37, to learn to read music). Branca has also moved away from microtones toward a tonal style more focused on structure. His Symphony No. 8 (1992), while composed for eight guitars, is clearly more melodic and dynamic than earlier guitar symphonies, as are his operatic and choral pieces. Now past 50, and able to boast commissions from Twyla Tharp’s dance company and the 1992 World Expo in Seville, Branca is reintegrating his rock past with a more traditionally classical present. In the journey from punk clubs to symphony halls, Branca introduced rock esthetics into concert music and classical techniques into guitar noise. In doing so, he helped to further break down the artificial lines separating popular from art music.

    DISCOGRAPHY
    Lesson #1 (99, 1980) ; a debut EP showing Branca in transition toward composition.
    The Ascension (99, 1981) ; another transitional piece, which unlike much of his later work, comes across well on record.
    Music for the Dance “Bad Smells” (Giorno Poetry Systems, 1982) ; this Branca piece appears alongside work by John Giorno on the album Who You Staring At?
    Symphony No. 1 (Tonal Plexus) (ROIR, 1983) ; composed in 1981, Branca’s first guitar symphony explores his “emotional structure.”
    Symphony No. 3 (Gloria) (Neutral, 1983; Atavistic, 1993) ; Branca’s creative breakthrough, his first to explore microtones in the harmonic series.
    Music for Peter Greenaway’s Film “The Belly of an Architect” (Factory [UK], 1987) ; Branca’s first piece to appear on record that uses orchestral instruments.
    Symphony No. 6 (Devil Choirs at the Gates of Heaven) (Blast First, 1989; Atavistic, 1993) ; a piece for 10 guitarists (including Helmet’s Page Hamilton).
    The World Upside Down (Les Disques du Crepuscule [Belgium], 1992; Atavistic, 1993) ; a full symphonic work in seven movements.
    Symphony No. 2 (The Peak of the Sacred) (Atavistic, 1992) ; written a decade before its release, Branca’s second symphonic work features percussionist Z’ev as well as his guitar army.
    Symphony Nos. 8 & 10 (The Mysteries) (Atavistic, 1992) ; written in 1992 and ‘94 respectively, these guitar symphonies explore life and death.
    Symphony No. 9 (L’eve future) (Point Music, 1995) ; a work for orchestra and voices, Branca’s first release on Philip Glass ’s label.
    Songs ‘77-‘79 (The Static & Theoretical Girls) (Atavistic, 1996) ; a collection of recordings