Disintegration Loops

[den]

Seeing as how it's the 5th anniversary of September 11th,

William Basinski - The Disintegration Loops I-IV

I think this is one of the most fascinating and powerful works of music in recent memory.

William Basinski found some old music loops he had recorded and started to transfer them to a different format. As he was doing so, the tapes would disintegrate, slowly distorting and obliterating the music to silence. He happened to be working on these tapes on September 11th in his Manhattan apartment. He listened to them as he watch the towers fall.

This is a rare piece of music that is inseparably and viscerally linked to the time of its creation. Knowing how the music was made adds immensely to its power and impact. The music itself is beautiful, blurred melodies slowly fading to nothing. It evokes a sense of loss and dying. This brand of music can't be created only in the confines of a dark studio, no matter how hard one tries. Truly remarkable.

Here's a bit more on the background.