DAWN

Don Robertson's album "Dawn" was originally recorded for Mercury's subsidiary label Limelight in 1969. Akarma Records gave this sought after release a well-earned rebirth with their recent reissue. The original album artwork is included with a detailed tri-fold insert on nicely textured paper with a history, pictures and biography of Roberston. Robertson contributes the story of his career and a detailed account of the recording session for the album as well. This treats the collector to a complete package that was previously unavailable.

There was no written music or scores to follow while recording was taking place during the "Dawn" sessions. Everything about the project was spontaneous and committed to tape in one take. These are points of interest that have made this album a valued collector's item and a wonder in the recording industry to this very day.

In 1969, the hippie counterculture was in full bloom. Their mottos were love not war, free love, and lots of dope smoking to enhance the carefree attitude that prevailed. The entire album is all instrumental music with a few spoken word passages. The instruments utilized on the album give it a World-Indian flavor with spaced out sound effects in the background with things like crickets chirping for a calming effect. Although none of this was unusual at the time of its inception, the way it all was accomplished put it in a category all by itself. The use of unconventional instruments was finding their way into modern rock music (i.e. The BEATLES) more and more. This is but one more example of that practice.

Robertson's premise was to make positive music; prior to that, he felt that he was recording negative music that would have such a dreadful influence on those that listened to it that he felt compelled to change direction entirely. From that point forward, he focused on our human spirituality and music that would encourage energy to that end. He presently has a website www.dovesong.com with MP3's dedicated to this style of music. Although I was not very crazy about the music itself, I certainly could see the value and importance of how and why its validity remains strong today.

An other long lost classic from late 60's raga rock musical excursions. "Dawn" is an artefact from the composer and multi instrumentalist Don Robertson. This is an ambitious album full of raga ornamentations and almost strictly instrumental (excepted female narrations in one title). Taken all together the compositions are articulated as a colourful evocation of Hinduism mysticism and abstract energies taken from mental, introspect pictures. The album opens with an eastern, acoustic spaced raga entirely composed for buzzing sitar chords and crystalline harp echoing effects. This gentle spiritual theme carries on "Why?" a peaceful interlude made of natural sounds. "Contemplation" is a wonderful freak out rock instrumental for electric guitars, rolling "ritual" drum parts and a "droning", "haunting" organ ambiance. "Where?" is an other little, simplistic raga piece for sitar. "The Candle" is a dreamy evocation of sounds, delivering a delicate trio between organ, bells and sitar. "Belief" is an epic drone composition with long form sitar sequences, luminous bells, deep monotonous organ patterns and sound collages of rain and thunder. Raga rock mantra. So good!

As for the flow of the derivation of the music that shifted as a result in the 70's in the 60's, the part of psychedelic and Folk might have especially carried everything before one the market with the fashion. Psychedelic and Folk that happens in the flow of music faced in the 70's might be advanced with some establishment.

A variety of music characters are gradually involved to the diversification and the progress of the music character. However, a special part of this album is not only construction of the sound as the result with the age. The ability that Don Robertson had already established it as the arranger and the composer and the methodologies of the expression are satisfactorily demonstrated by this album.

He has been born in China. It is said that the environment that besieged him overflowed with music. He might already adhered in the childhood to him the method concerning the research and the composition of advanced musical instruments and it adhere to the body. It is likely to have polished further in the method of man who took the element of all music as an expressionist. Those methods appear remarkably of course in this album.

It is said that the preparation concerning the composition of the score and the tune was not prepared at all in this album. The construction of the music that had to be done completely exactly might already have been completed. And, work to take heart the recording back is not done at all. Construction and the desire by each musician who is related to the recording are overwhelming. And, the perfection of construction concerning the music character consistently recommended by Don Robertson and the idea and the tune might be obviously wonderful. It is possible to evaluate it high as a part where the ability has already been projected to the album as a composer in the derivation of the music at this time.

The flow of psychedelic, Blues Rock, and Acid Folk was indeed main currents as the market of music at time when this album was announced. The element concerning various Music is included enough as a constructed impression in the album. The processing of the sound effect and busy of the collage might also have the part where the element of New Age is strong. However, the continuousness of the sound that Don Robertson constructed it with this album is an overwhelming expression that his talent began to make exactly. The sale of LP at that time was announced by contracting "Mercury's Limelight". CD can be bought by the copyright of "Akarma Records" of the subsidiary company now. Akarma Records is label of Italy.

Composition of tune by collage of sound. Or, it is effective partial by the narration. Part where sound of nature was effectively processed as SE. The flow that these parts are constructed without using the score is overwhelming. The desire of Don Robertson is completely exactly blocked in this album. The part of psychedelic and New Age might go out to previous overall. However, the music character to involve the element and everything as Raga Rock and to construct boasts of a complete perfection. And, the arrangement of Don Robertson that has already understood characteristics of musical instruments as a point that should make a special mention can be enumerated. I think that I made this work as there is a part has well informed for the arrangement and the operation of musical instruments.

"Dawn" expresses complete space. Guitar, chime, sense of relief caused by Sitar, and expression of light. And, one gaga mental part by the narration. The part of Raga Rock has already been expressed in the state in the top. The talent as the arrangement has appeared exactly. The repetition of a repetition of the melody and constant Chord constructs completely original music.

"Why?" plays the role of Interlude of this album. Flow that bird call is introduced as SE. The sound with a transparent feeling that flows constantly advances effectively.

"Contemplation" continues an overwhelming dash feeling and the tension. Part of coming in succession of tension with organ and heavy sound. The flow of the rhythm where it dashes completely makes a good effect to dare intermittently to do. An enchantment melody in close relation to there might be indeed splendid. The construction of the sound done by a minimum unit is complete.

"Where?" plays the role of Interlude in this album. The melody of complete Sitar flows comfortably after introducing the sound of nature and the roaring sound of the thunder as SE.

The repetition of Sitar and Hand Bell of "The Candle" is effective. The narration twines while advancing the part of the nucleus of Raga Rock. The rhythm by Bell will advance more effectively before long. And, the melody with the anacatesthesia to get on the flow twines. The progress of the melody and Chord used here is perfect. Atmosphere and power of expression have the overwhelming might. A complete arrangement by Don Robertson might be expressed.

"When?" is constructed the sound of a complete enchantment with the sound of Gong and starts. The flow of the rhythm that gives a ceremonial impression gives a good impression. Coming in succession of sound done only by rhythm. Or, the processing round which the high pitched sound and the bass twine well method. And, the sound effect with coming in succession and the tension of various percussion instruments is introduced. Composition in which extra is completely excluded. Or, the effect of Drone. Flow of complete improvisation with Steel Drum. These idea and expression are complete. And, the idea that ties intermittently the voice, the sound effect, and the melody at the end of the tune is also impressive.

"Belief" plays an effective role at the same time as completely expanding the width of the impression of this album. The sound of nature is effectively used and the sense of relief is produced. Part of melody of Harp that flows quietly. Or, it is partial of the collage that effectively uses the sound in which the scenery of the bird call and the port is recollected. Coming in succession of a metallic sound in close relation to there is very avant-garde. The music character of Don Robertson is very a conspicuous figure. The method, the idea, and the purpose of all the expressions might already have been completed. If the element as New Age was considered at this time, the interest is very felt and the desire is felt deep by me.

This album will not be able to be caught simply. It is possible to tell it enough to the listener as a work to project a complete desire as an initial album that Don Robertson did as an arranger and a composer.

DON ROBERTSON may be best known for his landmark album DAWN which appeared in 1969 and cited by many as one of the very first examples of new age music. ROBERTSON was born in Denver, Colorado in 1942 and was already collecting records at the age of 6 and created his own neighborhood radio station at the age 10. Wait, whaaat???!!!!! He also did a stint in the U.S. Navy where he taught himself jazz guitar and after living in Los Angeles for a few years ended up at the University of Colorado in Boulder to study music where he met the musicologist and pianist Leonard Stein and other world ethnic musicians such as Chinese pipa player Lui Tsun-Yen and sitar player Ravi Shankar.

He then relocated to New York City and worked as a studio musician as well as performing on TV commercials and then more education at the Juilliard School of Music where he worked with Morton Feldman and another Indian classical musician Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. ROBERTSON's biggest claim was to discover the reality of two qualitative polarities of positive and negative music and that the basis of the style of 20th century classical music based in the language of musical disharmony was had a negative effective on the human condition. If that's not far out enough ROBERTSON also claimed that with his debut release DAWN that he created the very first new age music on the one hand and the first death metal on the other. Ok, i think someone was hittin' the reefer a tad too hard during those heady years of "enlightenment"!

ROBERTSON was a gifted genius in many ways though. He wrote the first American instruction manual for the Indian tabla in 1968 and even got it published. In 1969 he moved to San Francisco where he recorded DAWN, an album that mixed the sounds of raga rock with various experimental electronic sounds, nature recordings, sound collages and various vocalizations provided by ROBERTSON's wife Suzie Robertson. ROBERTSON himself was a talented multi-instrumentalist and on this album he covers the 80-string guitar-zither, organ, piano, celesta, harp, tabla, bells, claves and jaltarang. Guest musicians provide flute, tambura, harp, bass guitar, drums including hand drum, steel drum, gong, chimes, hand bells and vocals by various others.

It's a rather short album with eight tracks that barely exceed the 32-minute mark but the album showcases an interesting mix of psychedelic-to-the-max escapism, exotic journeys into foreign lands through ethnic influences ("Belief") as well as rapid fire collage effects ("When?") that offer some interesting contrast. Interspersed throughout the album are intermittent nature sounds such as bird calls mixed with sampling effects of trains and other field recordings. The begins and ends with the album's longest tracks. The title track opens and at 9 1/2 minutes long and features the most new agy sounds that clearly display that ROBERTSON indeed prognosticated many of the strands and techniques that would coalesce into the new age sounds that emerged in the 1970s. This is probably the most uplifting and "hippie dippy" sounding of the tracks. It also showcases a cool way of implanting the sounds of the zither into the context of extreme psychedelia.

The closing "Belief" is a journey through many soundscapes ranging from ethnic encounters to droning repetitive sound loops with field recording sampling. In many ways this reminds me of some of Godspeed You! Black Emperor's finest moments. It's a dark journey through many motifs but generally stabilized by a monotonous atmosphere. The middle tracks are shorter and to the point. "Why?" is a short recording of bird sounds and chaotic ambient sounds while "Contemplation" throws a curveball with a heady organ drone accompanied by energetic drumming and a few bass guitar licks. It sort of reminds me of something Silver Apples would dream up. "Where?" is another short connective track that features a sitar and chime that lasts less than a minute. "The Candle" continues the raga rock with a sitar and some chiming however this time Robertson's wife offers a poetic recital. This track reminds me of many of the poetry based electronic soundscapes COIL would eventually conjure up. "Gateless Gate" is another dark sounding track that sounds like a drum circle with many percussionists at a drug fueled party.

DAWN found a released on Quincy Jones' Limelight Label and although some of ROBERTSON's claims about the his erudite theories may sound farfetched and hard to swallow, one thing is for sure and that is that he knew how to craft a very interesting album that featured many facets of world music, psychedelia and experimental recording techniques. For anyone familiar with many of the experimental artists that followed throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s and beyond, it's obvious that many of them (COIL, Godspeed, Codona etc) most likely encountered this fascinating album that takes you on a mystical journey through various sound effects, musical scales and collection of rhythmic contributions. The album flows quite nicely with each track standing out without ever losing the overall psychedelic detachment. While lumped into the world of raga rock, this album provides much more than some blissed out guru simply noodling away on the sitar for a half an hour's time. This is brilliantly composed music that is top notch and easy to hear how the world of new age followed in its footsteps. Excellent!