Unjust Malaise

Julius Eastman (Artist), Mitoff (Artist), Kotik (Artist), Beder (Artist), Sabee (Artist), Nigger (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 1, 2005)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 3
• Label: New World Records
• ASIN: B000BRP1ZQ
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #202,681 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Stay on It

2. If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?

3. Prelude to The Holy Presence of Joan D'Arc

4. The Holy Presence of Joan D'Arc

5. Gay Guerilla

6. Evil Nigger

7. Crazy Nigger

8. Julius Eastman's spoken introduction to the Northwestern University concert

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This three-disc set marks the first appearance on disc of the music of the African-American composer Julius Eastman (1940–1990), who died fourteen years ago under unexplained circumstances and whose musical legacy was thought lost. This comprehensive and definitive document, which comprises almost all of Eastman’s signature works, will undoubtedly be a revelation for those who have thus far been unable to hear his work. In his book American Music in the Twentieth Century, composer/author Kyle Gann briefly sums up Eastman’s work and its importance: “Born in New York, he graduated from the Curtis Institute in composition and was discovered by Lukas Foss, who conducted his music, including Stay On It (1973), one of the first works to introduce pop tonal progressions and free improvisation in an art context… Applying minimalism’s additive process to the building of sections, he developed a composing technique he called “organic music,” a cumulatively overlapping process in which each section of a work contains, simultaneously, all the sections which preceded it. The pieces he wrote in this style often had intentionally provocative titles intended to reinterpret the minorities Eastman belonged to in a positive light: for example, Evil Nigger, Crazy Nigger, and Gay Guerrilla (all circa 1980). These three pieces, all scored for multiple pianos, build up immense emotive power through the incessant repetition of rhythmic figures.” Eastman was an energizing underground figure, one whose forms are clear, whose methods were powerful and persuasive, and whose thinking was supremely musical. His works show different routes minimalism might have taken, and perhaps some of those will now be followed up. This set of discs is a bold beginning to restoring to history the works of one of the most important members of the first post-minimalist generation.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hidden Treasure, May 10, 2007

By	Gideon (Italy) - See all my reviews

This three-cd set is the first commercially available release by Julius Eastman, a minimaist composer who died in 1990 after having been forgotten by nearly everyone. Before his death he had been evicted from his house, so many of his scores got lost and for years his name disappeared from music annals.

The situation is now redressed by "Unjust Malaise", which comprises seven compositions directed by Mr Eastman himself. They are actually live recordings, but you would never notice as any applause has been edited out and the performance is so perfect that every track sounds like a studio take.

Listening to this music it soon becomes apparent that Mr Eastman was a major figure in the New Music Movement, and even more avant-garde than the avant-garde itself. His minimalist approach (repetitive, insistent structures) was mixed with carefully employed dissonance and 'pop' riffs, a fact that was considered heresy at the time.

Among the compositions (all from the '70s, and extremely notable) we find the poppy "Stay On It", with its breathtaking sax riff, and the gospelly, string-driven "The Holy Presence Of Joan D'Arc", which has an impressive vocal acappella prelude (eleven minutes) and shows that this composer was also a talented singer. Other works such as "[...] Guerilla", "Crazy [...]", "Evil [...]" (all for four pianos) are more sombre, full of spiritual tension and exert a strong emotional pull on the listener.

Julius Eastman had a flamboyant, provocative personality (e.g. he never concealed his homosexuality) and through his work we can perceive and understand the struggle of his soul. And this is how "Unjust Malaise" could ultimately be described: great soul music.