Letter Dance by Spencer Owen/James Rabbit
Made in 2009 and now remastered & issued with a Kickstarter-funded vinyl release for its 15th anniversary, "Letter Dance" is a maximal piece of minimalist music in the genre of lo-fi 20th century rock 'n' roll, split into 3 movements.
The basis for the piece is a live 40-minute riff take based on the song "Let Her Dance" by Bobby Fuller Four, performed by the Santa Cruz band James Rabbit. The variations in the piece are written and overdubbed by the mono-coastal musician and composer Spencer Owen, who originally conceived "Letter Dance."
Inspired by the legendary Osaka psych-punk band Boredoms and a handful of other distinctive specifics (e.g. David Pajo's Papa M, Disneyland's Main Street Electrical Parade, J.S. Bach's Goldberg canons, Squarepusher, Stereolab, the Congolese soukous of Diblo Dibala & Loketo), "Letter Dance" is sung and played via electric guitar, electric bass, upright piano, drums & percussion, synthesizers, and tape and digital treatments.
Tracklist
| 1. | Letter Dance: First | 13:13 |
| 2. | Letter Dance: Second | 20:27 |
| 3. | Letter Dance: Third | 6:50 |
Credits
Thor Andersen: live guitar (riff)
Max Bennett-Parker: live piano
Tyler Martin: live guitar (rhythm)
Spencer Owen: live drums, all vocals and overdubbed instruments
Drew Thomas: live bass
Live engineering: Tyler Martin (February 10, 2009 at the Crystal Palace, Santa Cruz, CA)
Overdub engineering & mixing: Spencer Owen (February 11-March 30, 2009 on Courtland Avenue, Oakland, CA)
Remastering for digital & vinyl (2023): Drew Thomas
Cover and label artwork and layout (2023): Will Ivy
Cover photo: Allison Owen
“Let Her Dance” was written by Bobby Fuller.
