72. Occasional Works (2003-2004)

An anthology of experimental and funny works. MPB (musica popular brasileira) is deconstructed and hilariously reassembled in “Oulipian Ipanemas” and “Bossa Blotto”. Experimental poets are remembered in “Vocabulary Requiem for Nicholas Zurbrugg” and “Jas Rhythms”. Corruscated electronic sound textures are explored in “And Pterodactyls Danced in Dewsbury”, the soundtracks for Elizabeth Block's films, and “Rule Gnu...” an improvisation with a wildly malfunctioning electronic keyboard. Wild improvisation with Catherine Schieve on Ecuadorian shaman's drum is also featured in “Shaman's Drum and Beat-Sliced Samples”, where the techno technique of beat slicing is taken to extremes.

67. William Gillespie and Warren Burt: The WEFT Improvs (2002)

Two mutants in a public radio studio in the middle of the American mid-West. Experimental poet William Gillespie (spinelessbooks.com) and Burt improvise “Smooth Jazz” with samples and, for everyone who ever suffered through a radio pledge drive, here's a tonic for your ears: a live performance of cut up and sampled pledge drive ads performed, that's right, as part of a radio pledge drive. Very silly.

58. Music of the Pre-Neo-Cyberian (1998-99)

Perhaps some of Burt's oldest music - one of the scales used on this collection of 19 pieces is probably about 25,000 years old. Paleomathematics as music! Also Burt's tribute to British drum and bass magazines, a set of microtonal etudes, some noiseband work, and hommage to the late great performance poet Jas Duke.

50. A 90s Miscellany

Fourteen short pieces, mostly made for mail art and collective sound art projects. Includes “With Proper Regard for Copyright”, Burt's 1996 plunderphonic collaboration with Tim Kreger, and “A Little Lullaby for Lev and Clara, Reunited in Heaven”, where Burt plays “der Russian perfesser”, in an homage to Leon Theremin, who was one of the folks who got this whole thing started.

32. Electronic Music 1988

Three major live electronic pieces and a few shorter ones. “Not for Public Consumption” is a live multi-cassette recorder mix - Burt was one of the people who pioneered cassette culture in the early 1970s, and here he shows his mastery in a rampaging collage. “Riffs for Ross” is Burt and a keyboard sampler assembling his dream bebop band, where Charlie Parker and Art van Damme finally get to play together. “From my Window” is for breath controlled Serge synthesizer (Burt was one of the people who contributed to the design of the Serge) and samplers - a combination of European electroacoustics and Australian free improv.

31. A 1987 Sampler

Early sampler pieces. “String Quartet No. 4" is a piece for computer controlled string quartet samples. An elegant fake that approaches the complexity of the real thing. “for Caroline” is a multitracked environment for both sunny sounds (Burt's tuning forks), and subterranean ones (cellist Sarah Hopkins and poet Chris Mann in a storm drain). “Justice, Equality and Beatings IV” continues Burt's explorations in drones at the edge of consonance and dissonance.

30. Samples I, II, III (1986-87) for Orchestra ( TWO CD )

“Samples I and II” are Plunderphonic pieces where a sampler is used, with samples of orchestral music by other people, to create complex and luminous soundscapes. “Samples III” is another kettle of fish altogether. Burt wrote 50 fragments of orchestral music, which were recorded by the Adelaide Symphony. He then sampled these, and assembled them into an 84 minute long sonic fresco for three imaginary orchestras in as many simultaneous keys and rhythms. “Polyrhythm” and “polytexture” are the warp and woof of this imagination-bending score.

19. From the Dreambooks and Lo-Fi Proposals (1980 & 86)

“The thing about Warren Burt is, he can take any thin thread of trashy material, and make a piece out of it.” -Ron Robboy. The trashy materials here are Dreambooks, gambling charts formerly used in the numbers racket in the US. Using these as a source of random information, Burt makes one of the earliest Synclavier pieces, basing each highly cyclical piece on the bogus numerology of the Dreambooks. “Lo Fi Proposals”, on the other hand, continues Burt's love affair with cheap technology and it's defects as a source for art. Here the mighty Casio SK1 toy sampler is put through its paces in a series of environmental, political, orchestral, and structural miniatures.

16. Suite for Synclavier (1979)

A 50 minute suite of five pieces made on the Synclavier system at Adelaide University,one of the first digital synthesizers. Four of the pieces were used as soundtracks for the video piece “Even Five More Moods, Yet”, while one, “Japonica's Dream” is previously unreleased. Includes the collage piece “for Ives and Jobim” and the lush, overblown minimalism of “Gorgeous Formalism.”

7. Nighthawk, Part 2: 3 Poems of Reassemblage (1975)

Three classic lo-tech experimental poetry pieces. Includes "Frou-Frou Flamingo", Burt's first cassette recorder piece, the dark gangland rhythms of "The Alligator Lords," and the vocal multiphonics and cut up pulp literature of "The Smirking Haddock." Cut-up poetry, toy percussion, cheap electronics - an essential piece from the 1970s sound poetry movement.

3. Anthology 1970-73

A collection of analog and live-performance pieces from the early 70s. "Lullabies II" for briefcase synth and tape delay was an early minimalist piece. "For Charlemagne Palestine," a tribute to his friend, was Burt's first microtonal electronic drone piece. "John Lilly Meets the Dolphins" is a piece based on the voices of consciousness-studies pioneer John Lilly and his dolphin collaborators, as well as the sounds of whales and walruses. This is Burt's first piece dealing with underwater soundscapes, a theme that he would continue to explore.

1. Trilobites and Aardvarks (1969-71)

Burt's first electronic music work. From the rampaging collage of "The Trilobite Trilogy Blues" through the barrage of roaring, whining Formula-One Grand Prix like sound of "Sleiden Sound" to the chopped up sound of 19 people reading 19 th century pornography in "The Scarlet Aardvark Strikes Back", this highly energetic and exuberant piece expresses Burt's joy at finding a medium which suited him perfectly. Made with the now historical CEMS synthesizer system designed by Joel Chadabe, early synthesizer fans will love this.