Tones, Drones and Arpeggios: The Magic of Minimalism - Season 1
Season 1
Episodes
California
In this episode Charles tracks down the pioneers of minimalism, which began on America's west coast in the 1950s. Describing them as 'prophets without honour', he explores La Monte Young's groundbreaking experiments with musical form that included notes held for exceptionally long periods of time, and drones inspired by Eastern classical music and Hindustani singer Pandit Pran Nath. He drives out into the Californian countryside to the ranch of Terry Riley and discusses the musician's revolutionary experiments with tape recording looping and phasing, along with early synthesizer sound. The episode includes excerpts from key early minimalist pieces, including Riley's now famous In C, performed by Charles Hazlewood's All Stars Collective and detailed workshopping by Hazlewood where pieces are deconstructed musically.
New York
In this episode Charles meets the genre's superstars Philip Glass and Steve Reich. Across the 1960s these New Yorkers added new orchestral dimensions to compositions based on repetition, transcendence and new technology, and broke into the mainstream in the following decade. Charles explores how breakthrough techniques Reich first explored on tape were transposed for orchestral performance. Glass's experiments with repetitive structures, along with his innovative work in opera - Einstein on the Beach - revealed new possibilities for classical music. The episode includes excerpts from minimalist pieces, including Reich's Variations for Winds, Strings and Keyboards performed by the Army of Generals orchestra. Charles Hazlewood's All Stars Collective performs part of Mike Oldfield's minimalist-inspired Tubular Bells.
Recently Updated Shows
The Proof Is Out There
The Proof Is Out There takes an in-depth look at some of the most incredible and thought provoking videos of unexplained phenomena and mysterious must-see moments of all time. Each half-hour episode explores and analyzes the full story of each irregularity in question from bizarre footage of people seemingly immune to lightning, to a fifty-foot snake, apocalyptic sounds in a man's backyard, enigmatic creatures, and UFOS that split and dive underwater. Through expert examination and the use of the latest technologies, The Proof Is Out There aims to get to the bottom of what's real? What's fake? And everything in between.
The UnXplained
The UnXplained will tackle subjects that have mystified mankind for centuries, from mysterious structures and cursed ancient cities to extraterrestrial sightings and bizarre rituals. The series will also feature contributions from top scientists, historians, engineers and researchers - each seeking to shed light on how the seemingly impossible can happen.
The Chi
The Chi is a timely coming-of-age story centering on a group of residents who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption. Kevin is the pre-teen who must step past shattered illusions and embrace the normal rites of childhood, while Brandon the dreamer makes his own nearly impossible leap of faith to succeed in life and love with girlfriend Jerrika. Emmett is the carefree teen is thrust into complex responsibility with guidance from his mother Jada, and Ronnie is the drifter whose struggle to love and be loved calls into question his every pursuit.
Resident Alien
Resident Alien is a dark, twisted and comedic fish-out-of-water story that follows a crash-landed alien named Harry who, after taking on the identity of a small-town Colorado doctor, slowly begins to wrestle with the moral dilemma of his secret mission on Earth — ultimately asking the question, "Are human beings worth saving?"