World of Echo

World of Echo is the only full-length non-collaborative studio album recorded, released and compiled by Arthur Russell during his lifetime. It was released in 1986 on Upside Records in the United States and on Rough Trade Records in the United Kingdom.

World of Echo
Studio album by
Arthur Russell
Released1986 (1986)
Recorded1984–1986
Genre
Length51:14
Label
Producer
  • Arthur Russell
  • Phill Niblock
  • Steve Cellum
  • Peter Zummo
  • Ernie Brooks
Arthur Russell chronology
Instrumentals, 1974 – Vol. 2
(1984)		 World of Echo
(1986)		 Another Thought
(1994)
2005 re-issue
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Pitchfork8.4/10[4]
Stylus MagazineB+[5]

Audika Records issued a remastered limited edition CD on 27 October 2004 which included bonus tracks and a DVD with footage by Phill Niblock. They subsequently issued another CD on 11 January 2005 and a double vinyl edition on 29 March 2005. Rough Trade also reissued the album on 9 January 2005.

In 2013, Fact magazine ranked World of Echo the number one album of the 1980s.[6]

Background and composition

World of Echo has been noted as prominently incorporating Russell's "folksy tenor, cello, and scant electronic microtones".[4] It departs from his dance music recordings of the time, although many songs are still built on pop structures, and also features Russell's spontaneous use of production effects, including echo, reverb, and distortion, which has garnered comparisons to dub music. Multiple songs on the album incorporate hand percussion and clapping, also similarly processed.

Writing for Pitchfork, Cameron Macdonald noted that Russell's style of cello playing, often improvised, makes use of sporadic, imaginary sounds like "hollow thuds, window-washing brushes, chipped strings, knuckled knacks, and the boom of a floor peg dropping on concrete".[4] He also commented that the cello "startlingly duets with his voice", leading to inharmonic sounds that makes it sound like the instrument "clears its throat during his awkward moments".[4]

Reviewers have also commented on the album's "skeletal framework", with "bare melodies rising to the surface, vocal lines encompassing wordless singing" and "constantly shifting textures swirling throughout".[7]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Arthur Russell.

No.TitleLength
1."Tone Bone Kone"1:05
2."Soon-to-Be Innocent Fun / Let's See"9:36
3."Answers Me"2:11
4."Being It"5:17
5."Place I Know / Kid Like You"3:28
6."She's the Star / I Take This Time"4:57
7."Tree House"2:15
8."See-Through"2:10
9."Hiding Your Present from You"4:17
10."Wax the Van"2:11
11."All-Boy All-Girl"3:44
12."Lucky Cloud"2:53
13."Tower of Meaning / Rabbit's Ear / Home Away from Home"4:38
14."Let's Go Swimming"2:42
Reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
15."The Name of the Next Song"3:54
16."Happy Ending"4:23
17."Canvas Home"2:34
18."Our Last Night Together"3:27

Personnel

People involved in the making of this album include:[8]

Technical personnel
  • Arthur Russell – producer, liner notes
  • Ernie Brooks – producer
  • Steve Cellum – producer
  • Ray Janos – remastering
  • Janet Perr – artwork
  • Steve Knutson – reissue executive producer
  • Tom Lee – reissue executive producer
  • Phill Niblock – producer
  • Peter Zummo – producer

In 2016, American rapper and producer Kanye West sampled a section from Russell's "Answers Me" in his song "30 Hours".[9]

References
  1. Lawrence, Tim. "Liner Notes". Mixed With Love: The Walter Gibbons Salsoul Anthology. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  2. Beks, Ash. "Arthur Russell, Kanye West and the Restless Creative Genius". Noisey. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  3. Tyranny, "Blue" Gene. "World of Echo – Arthur Russell". AllMusic. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  4. Macdonald, Cameron (December 15, 2004). "Arthur Russell: World of Echo". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  5. Powell, Mike (January 11, 2005). "Arthur Russell – World of Echo – Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  6. FACT Magazine review
  7. "Dusted Reviews: Arthur Russell - World of Echo". Dusted Magazine. November 14, 2004. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  8. "World of Echo – Credits". Allmusic. Macrovision. Retrieved 12 May 2009.
  9. "Kanye West Shares New Song "30 Hours," Adds More Songs to New Album The Life of Pablo". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
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