Clozier’s second CD, vol. 7 in the Chrysopée Électronique series, also contains two pieces, Par Pangloss Gymnopède and Le Temps scintille et le Songe est savoir. The first, in four movements, starts out with high synthesized voice sounds. Some drones are added. There’s a suggestion of rhythm as various drones come and go, until there emerges a definite pulse.

Indeed, there are lots of suggestions in this piece—of rhythm, of motif, of melody. The odd thing perhaps is that none of it sounds at all tentative. Little hints, furtive little things that start and break off and start again, but all quite confidently. Subtle and confident.

The sounds of Par Pangloss Gymnopède are mostly artificial—at times sound almost Moog or Buchla-like. Almost. One is aware of the machine (which is neither of those two, I don’t think) without its ever really intruding. And Clozier’s piece has much richer and darker sounds than I at least have ever heard from those two machines. What you get in Par Pangloss… is some regular and repetitive licks, with deliciously harsh interruptions; I almost said eruptions.

Movement three, opening:

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The six movements of Le Temps scintille et le Songe est savoir fall, as Clozier points out in the liner notes, into three sections—movements one and two; movements three, four, and five; and movement six. Movement two is practically the A to movement one’s AB.

Le Temps… opens as if it were an instrumental piece, as if played by instruments, with lines suited to machines with keys and valves and strings. That changes, very slowly. It’s almost six minutes into the thirteen minute movement before the change is complete, before the music is something other than what a trumpet or a piano or a violin might play. Even then, little bits of “traditional” music occasionally peek through the electronic swirls and growls. Quite an engaging idea, really, and carried out very skillfully.

There’s always the possibility with the machine to make absolutely regular and mechanical lines. There’s always the possibility to make absolutely irregular and un-coordinated lines. In Le Temps scintelle et le Songe est savoir, Clozier moves in and out of each state. The two abilities of the machine have provided the musical logic of the piece.

Movement 6, opening:

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