In early 1962, venerated producer, composer, and music executive George Martin collaborated with BBC Radiophonic Workshop’s Maddalena Fagandini to create and record two pioneering electronic instrumental tracks, “Time Beat” and “Waltz in Orbit.” Under the artist pseudonym Ray Cathode, the tracks were released in April 1962 as a Parlophone single and B-side, just weeks before Martin met and recorded The Beatles for the first time. Bridging six decades of electronic music, George Martin Music and dublab present a limited run of 100 numbered 12-inch vinyl EPs pairing the two songs, newly remastered by Craig Leon, with contemporary remix reinterpretations by SPARKLE DIVISION and Drum & Lace. Cut at Finyl Tweek and pressed at The Vinyl Factory, with all proceeds benefiting dublab’s nonprofit community radio programming and mission.
During his storied seven-decade career, George Martin actively nurtured his lifelong fascination with sound. From his first hit recordings, he would experiment in the studio, using the room and its equipment, playing with different tape speeds, acoustics, reverse echo, backward recording, music concrète, and other forward-looking techniques. Martin’s working base since 1950, EMI’s Abbey Road Studios, was light on electronics at the time, but only a short walk away from the innovative BBC Radiophonic Workshop. There he met fellow audio experimentalists who were making soundscapes for television shows from nascent electronic hardware they'd made or acquired long before the emergence of anything recognizable as similar. At the Workshop, every sound was made laboriously by hand.
Martin teamed up with the Workshop's Maddalena Fagandini for a commercial experiment. Under the pseudonym Ray Cathode, the two audio pioneers created a brace of tracks: the first with Martin providing the manmade melody alongside Fagandini’s electronically-created rhythm, and a second for which they switched roles. Sounding like nothing else of the time, "Time Beat" and "Waltz in Orbit" drew a great deal of interest upon their release. Also notable as the first commercially released recordings from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, the Ray Cathode tracks heralded the dawn of electronic music.
George Martin always maintained that it was his early career experimentation, including Ray Cathode, that helped him in his work as The Beatles’ producer to meet the band’s constant need for new sounds and effects. Maddalena Fagandini continued creating electronic music and sounds, including jingles and interval signals, at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop until 1966, when she moved into her successful career as a television producer and director.
credits
released March 23, 2021
Published by George Martin Music Limited
This release brings these two songs remastered by Craig Leon along with contemporary re-interpretations / remixes by Sparkle Division and Drum & Lace.
dublab thanks the Estate of George Martin for their generous support in making this release possible. All revenue from this release goes toward dublab's non profit community radio programming and mission.
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supported by 4 fans who also own “Time Beat / Waltz In Orbit”
The great underlying instrumentation paired with Florence's droll stream of consciousness lyrics make this album stand out. It feels so personal and confessional. Favorite tracks are Strong Feelings and Leafy. I've heard Scratchard Lanyard on alt radio and love that one as well. tofupotpie
Live recording of GLK's string-laden, 15-piece band at the Mayan Theatre in LA, right after his near-death accident. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 19, 2015