Electronic Sound
Electronic Sound is the second solo studio album by English musician George Harrison, released in May 1969 by Zapple Records, an experimental imprint of Apple Records. Recorded using a Moog synthesizer at Harrison's home studio in Esher, Surrey, it consists of two lengthy improvisational tracks exploring electronic music textures and sounds. The album emerged from Harrison's growing interest in synthesizers amid the Beatles' final years and the broader 1960s avant-garde scene.[1] Intended as part of Zapple's spoken-word and experimental releases, Electronic Sound was Harrison's first fully instrumental album and one of only two releases on the short-lived label before its closure. It received mixed contemporary reviews for its abstract nature but has been retrospectively appreciated for pioneering electronic experimentation in rock music.[2]Background
Harrison's synthesizer interest
George Harrison's fascination with electronic instruments emerged in the mid-1960s, as he began incorporating keyboards like the Hammond organ into Beatles recordings. In 1967, he played Hammond organ on tracks such as "Blue Jay Way," where its droning tones underscored the song's psychedelic atmosphere, and "Only a Northern Song," adding textural layers to the experimental composition.[3][4] These contributions highlighted his growing interest in sonic innovation beyond traditional guitar work, aligning with the band's broader experimentation during the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band era. While Harrison did not personally perform on the Mellotron for "Strawberry Fields Forever" or "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!"—instruments handled by Paul McCartney and George Martin, respectively—these recordings exemplified the electronic soundscapes that captivated him and influenced his musical direction.[5] This interest culminated in a pivotal encounter with electronic music pioneer Bernie Krause on 11-12 November 1968, during a recording session for Jackie Lomax's album Is This What You Want? at Sound Recorders Studio in Los Angeles. Krause, a composer specializing in synthesized sounds, demonstrated the capabilities of a Moog III synthesizer after the session, showcasing its vast array of tones and effects into the early hours. Intrigued by the instrument's potential to generate otherworldly textures, Harrison secretly recorded the demonstration on his Uher tape recorder, later editing it into the 25-minute piece "No Time Or Space" for his solo album.[6][7] Inspired by Krause's presentation, Harrison ordered his own Moog IIIp modular synthesizer in late 1968, which arrived at his Esher home in early February 1969. At a cost of approximately $8,000—equivalent to about $72,000 in 2024 dollars—this custom-built instrument was one of the first of its kind in Britain, following early adopters like Mike Vickers of Manfred Mann.[8][9][10] Harrison's acquisition marked a significant step in his personal evolution toward electronic music, paving the way for experimental work released through Zapple Records.[11]Zapple Records context
Zapple Records was established in 1968 as a subsidiary of Apple Records, serving as an avant-garde imprint dedicated to releasing experimental music, spoken-word recordings, and other non-commercial artistic endeavors, in contrast to Apple's primary focus on mainstream pop releases.[12][13] Managed by Barry Miles, a friend of Paul McCartney, the label aimed to provide a platform for unfettered sonic exploration, including interviews, electronic works, and contributions from both established and emerging artists.[13][14] The label's only two releases were John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions and George Harrison's Electronic Sound, both issued on May 9, 1969, in the UK.[12][13] These albums exemplified Zapple's commitment to boundary-pushing content, with planned projects such as spoken-word recordings by poets like Allen Ginsberg and comedian Lenny Bruce ultimately unrealized.[14][13] Zapple was shuttered later in 1969 after just these two LPs, primarily due to Apple's mounting financial difficulties and the internal restructuring imposed by new manager Allen Klein, who prioritized cost-cutting amid escalating tensions leading to the Beatles' breakup.[13][14] Harrison played a supportive role in the label's experimental ethos by contributing Electronic Sound, viewing such projects as a vital counterbalance to the commercial demands on Apple artists; his burgeoning interest in synthesizers further motivated his involvement.[12][13]Production
Recording sessions
The recording of Electronic Sound took place over several months in late 1968 and early 1969, following the completion of The Beatles' The White Album and amid a period of reduced group commitments.[11][15] The first track, "No Time or Space," was recorded on 11 and 12 November 1968 at Sound Recorders Studio in Los Angeles, California.[6] This session occurred during Harrison's time in the city producing Jackie Lomax's debut album Is This What You Want? for Apple Records, functioning as an extended demonstration and demo with electronic musician Bernie Krause.[6][15] Krause provided guidance on the Moog III synthesizer, demonstrating its capabilities while Harrison captured the improvisations, which were later edited into a 25-minute piece.[6] In contrast, the second track, "Under the Mersey Wall," was recorded entirely by Harrison alone in February 1969 at his home studio, Kinfauns, in Esher, Surrey, England.[16][15] This followed the delivery of Harrison's own Moog IIIp synthesizer to the UK, allowing him to experiment independently after learning its operations.[16] Krause's collaboration was confined to the Los Angeles session for "No Time or Space," with Harrison managing all subsequent mixing and editing for the album at his own facilities.[6][11]Equipment and techniques
The primary instrument employed in the creation of Electronic Sound was the Moog IIIp synthesizer, a custom modular system purchased by George Harrison in early 1969. This setup included a 5-octave keyboard for pitch control, a ribbon controller for precise voltage-based modulation, filter banks such as the 907 fixed filter bank for spectral shaping, and an array of interconnected modules—including oscillators, amplifiers, and mixers—linked via hundreds of patch cords to enable extensive sound manipulation.[17][11] Harrison utilized experimental techniques on the Moog to produce abstract soundscapes, including white noise generation through noise modules and attenuators, oscillator tuning to achieve harmonic relationships, all without relying on conventional melody or rhythm. These methods emphasized raw electronic textures, such as sweeping frequencies and filtered bursts, captured spontaneously during sessions in Los Angeles and Surrey.[12][11] Adopting a self-taught approach after an initial demonstration, Harrison navigated the Moog's complexities without formal guidance or an instruction manual, often contending with the instrument's inherent instability—particularly voltage drift in the oscillators—that necessitated constant retuning to maintain pitch accuracy. The resulting recordings eschewed overdubs or supplementary instruments, prioritizing unadulterated electronic generation directly miced into tape for an unprocessed, exploratory aesthetic.[11][15]Content
Musical style
Electronic Sound is classified as an avant-garde electronic album, characterized by drone-like textures, improvisational noise, and a complete absence of vocals or conventional song structures.[18] The work eschews traditional rock elements in favor of experimental sonic exploration using the Moog synthesizer, producing sustained ambient tones and spontaneous electronic compositions that prioritize texture over melody.[15] This style marks a departure from Harrison's typical guitar-based rock contributions, embracing noise and improvisation as core components.[18] The album's thematic inspirations draw from personal and spiritual reflections. The track "No Time or Space" evokes Harrison's interest in Transcendental Meditation, with its title derived from phrases he used to describe meditative states beyond time and space.[19] In contrast, "Under the Mersey Wall" incorporates nostalgic references to Liverpool, twisting the title of a local newspaper column "Over the Mersey Wall" from the Liverpool Echo to allude to the River Mersey and his hometown roots through ambient, evocative sounds.[15][19] These elements infuse the improvisations with subtle conceptual depth amid the abstract electronic landscape.[20] Comprising two extended improvisations totaling 43:50, the album emphasizes sonic experimentation over accessibility, with each track occupying one side of the LP to allow for unhurried development of ideas.[18][15] This form highlights Harrison's curiosity-driven approach, briefly referencing Moog techniques like dual-instrument layering to create immersive, evolving soundscapes.[15] While echoing the innovative electronic works of contemporaries like Karlheinz Stockhausen, Electronic Sound remains rooted in the perspective of a rock musician venturing into avant-garde territory, blending intuitive improvisation with emerging synthesizer possibilities.[15]Track listing
The original LP release of Electronic Sound features two extended tracks, one on each side, all composed and written by George Harrison.[21] The tracks were performed by Harrison using a Moog IIIp synthesizer, with "No Time or Space" featuring assistance from Bernie Krause. "Under the Mersey Wall" is credited pseudonymously to "Rupert and Jostick The Siamese Twins" (Harrison's cats) and was recorded at his home in Esher, Surrey. "No Time or Space" was recorded during a demonstration session in California.[11]| Side | Track | Title | Duration | Writer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | "Under the Mersey Wall" | 18:41 | George Harrison |
| B | 1 | "No Time or Space" | 25:10 | George Harrison |