William Basinski: 25 Years of Disintegration Loops

An electronic program built around William Basinski's 25 Years of Disintegration Loops, presented at First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia, with Claire Rousay also among the artists named for the evening.

William Basinski is an American composer working in ambient music. Born in Houston in 1958, Basinski has been active since 1978, and released the album Watermusic in 2001 on Raster-Noton. The project 25 Years of Disintegration Loops draws on the Disintegration Loops, a series of recordings made from magnetic tape loops that degrade as they play, so the sound gradually breaks apart over the course of each piece.

Claire Rousay is also among the artists for this evening. The program is electronic, and Basinski's work rests on long, slowly evolving textures rather than conventional song structures, which places the music in the ambient tradition.

First Unitarian Church is a religious building in Philadelphia, so the evening takes place in a place of worship rather than a dedicated concert hall. The night suits listeners interested in ambient electronic music and in Basinski's long-form tape-based works.