Well, I think they're soothing, anyway. But whether you feel the same way or not, you've got to appreciate what the man did for music (and the science of sound in general). In this piece alone, Stockhausen was able to take two differing styles of experimental electronic composition and bring them together seamlessly. I speak, of course, of the German Elektronische Musik and the French Musique Concrete, the former making use of synthesized sounds and the latter employing techniques such as sampling with tape loops. Two completely different ideals, the synthetic versus the concrete, brought together in perfect harmony by a man with a vision. This was but one of Karl's many sonic accomplishments, but definitely one of his most valuable.
Got any favorite electronic composers?
