William Basinski

664,806 plays (57,600 listeners)
In your library (0 plays)

259 shouts

Add to my Library Share

Get Ringtones

William Basinski (Houston, 1958), a New York-based classically-trained clarinetist and saxophonist, specializes in compositions for loops and drones. He began experimenting with compositions for piano and tape that created a melancholy ambience via looped and overdubbed melodies with Variations - A Movement in Chrome Primitive (1980), released on Variations - A Movement in Chrome Primitive (Durtro, 2002 - Die Stadt, 2004), and A Red Score in Tile (1979), released on A Red Score in Tile (3 Poplars, 2003).

Shortwave Music (1982), some of which appear on Shortwave Music (Noton, 1998), processed and assembled snippets of radio broadcasts to produce atmospheres at the border between musique concrete and ambient music. The River (1983), collected on the double-disc The River (Noton, december 2002), was the most mature expression of “shortwave music”.

Melancholia (Durtro, 2003 - 2062, 2005) collects more loop-based vignettes from the 1980s, closer in feeling and scope to Erik Satie and Brian Eno.

During the 1980s, Basinski often played saxophone during multimedia performances, and was a member of the Gretchen Langheld Ensemble, which later evolved into House Afire. In 1989 he opened his own loft for the creative arts, nicknamed “Arcadia”. Throughout the 1990s he refined his song-cycle Hymns of Oblivion. In 1997, Basinski launched his performance-art act Beautifying America. He also formed the electronic ensemble Life on Mars. Basinski has also created videos and films, notably the “ambient film” Fountain (2000).

Tagged as:

ambient, experimental, minimal, drone, electronic
See more…

Similar Artists

Top Albums

92982
William Basinski
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $8.99
- 7digital $6.99
- iTunes $9.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
Melancholia
William Basinski
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $8.99
- 7digital $6.99
- iTunes $9.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
Shortwavemusic
William Basinski
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $8.99
- 7digital $6.99
- iTunes $9.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
The Disintegration Loops I
William Basinski
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $8.99
- 7digital $6.99
- iTunes $9.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search

Top Tracks

1	d\|p 1.1	218
2	92982.1 full track	217
3	D\|P 2.1	174
4	92982.2 full track	168
5	92982.4 full track	155
6	d\|p 3	132
7	92982.3 full track	131
8	Melancholia 5	93
9	Melancholia 10	91
10	Melancholia 11	85
11	Melancholia 1	84
12	d\|p 2.2	67
13	Evening Scars full track	66
14	D\|P 6	65
14	Melancholia 8	65

Shoutbox

Leave a comment. Log in to Last.fm or sign up (it’s free).

GilmoursAngst wrote:
15 hours ago

Basinski is becoming my favorite ambient artist. I love his minimal ways.

View Profile | Leave GilmoursAngst a shout
Killer_Artist wrote:
Monday morning

I'm not sure what will happen, but I assume unemployment will be involved.

View Profile | Leave Killer_Artist a shout
spilled_milk wrote:
Saturday morning

he can't reply to you because he's dead seeing as how his face melted off

View Profile | Leave spilled_milk a shout
XXITheWorld wrote:
last week

So, what happened?

View Profile | Leave XXITheWorld a shout
HankTheWeasel wrote:
last week

@XXITheWorld: played it... :)

View Profile | Leave HankTheWeasel a shout
ThaSven89 wrote:
last week

Probably best ambient artist out there.

View Profile | Leave ThaSven89 a shout
spilled_milk wrote:
last week

your face would probably melt off

View Profile | Leave spilled_milk a shout
DoglessEndeavor wrote:
last week

Discovered him this week thanks to a last.fm recommendation. I can't stop playing his stuff. Absolutely unreal!

View Profile | Leave DoglessEndeavor a shout
XXITheWorld wrote:
last week

What will happen if I lay in my bed an listen to the 4 disintegration loops discs back to back?

View Profile | Leave XXITheWorld a shout
GaliMaGimmo wrote:
14 days ago

LePlatypope: Melancholia

View Profile | Leave GaliMaGimmo a shout
a_bleeding_star wrote:
14 days ago

[Saved My Self]

View Profile | Leave a_bleeding_star a shout
Music0 wrote:
16 days ago

El Camino Real is the definition of epic. I reccomend that as your next stop, LePlatypope.

View Profile | Leave Music0 a shout
LePlatypope wrote:
16 days ago

I have all the the Disintegration Loops and love them tons and I don't know where to go next... if anywhere. So, help.

View Profile | Leave LePlatypope a shout
Yunckzilla wrote:
16 days ago

I have anything to say, but want to test how my new avatar looks in shoutbox. (3)

View Profile | Leave Yunckzilla a shout
XXITheWorld wrote:
24 days ago

OMG The River only has like 100 listeners. Let`s change that

View Profile | Leave XXITheWorld a shout
BigLurch wrote:
last month

borin g

View Profile | Leave BigLurch a shout
Pulverie76 wrote:
last month

Incomplete but pretty nice review

View Profile | Leave Pulverie76 a shout
R0b0hobo wrote:
last month

I have anything to say, but want to test how my new avatar looks in shoutbox. (2)

View Profile | Leave R0b0hobo a shout
dhumavatyali wrote:
last month

But it is a cake. "Which cake makes the most beautiful noise? Ah, maybe this lemon loaf instead."

View Profile | Leave dhumavatyali a shout
leafmelon wrote:
last month

I don't know why but when I look at that pic it looks like he's standing in front of a big cake, that's what I see.. maybe it's just the colours.

View Profile | Leave leafmelon a shout