Information/Write-up
Bruce Haack was born May 4, 1931 in Nordegg, Alberta and grew up in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. In his early years, he was influenced by and bonded with the First Nations people and their culture. He became a pioneer in electronic music. After graduating from The University of Alberta with a psychology degree (he was rejected to enroll in the Music Department), he moved to New York in 1955 and later composed his first symphony for orchestra in 1957 entitled "Windsong", a composition about the Canadian West and the Province of Alberta; which was performed by the Calgary Philharmonic in New York. In 1968 and 1969, he recorded this heavy head rock album of electronic music. He built his own synthesizer, and wrote, composed, and played all instruments (he multi-tracked everything). The common themes on this album are drugs, sex, demons, and protest. The album is considered to be one of the best two or three moog LP's ever recorded.
The album was programmed by Andrew Kazdin. Engineering by Arthur Kendy, Ray Moore and Peter Ganet. Bruce Haack's manager was William H. Englander. The vocalists were: Tony Taylor, Chris Kachulis, Jon St. John, Bruce Haack, Farad (The Electric Voice), and Childvoice was Gary Dersarkissian.
The front cover artwork was by Isadore Seltzer.
The album was re-issued on LP on Columbia XSM 151960 in 2000 and again on CD on Omni Recording OMNI 110 in 2007 with an unreleased version of "Electric To Me Turn" as well as 9 tracks of an interview Bruce did with CKUA Radio, Edmonton, Alberta in 1970.
Prior to Electric Lucifer, Bruce Haack recorded three children's albums: "Dance, Sing & Listen" on Dimension 5 D101 in 1963 (re-issued on King Records KICP-2631 in Japan in 2004); and "Dance, Sing, And Listen Again & Again!" on Dimension 5 D121 in 1963; and "The Way Out Record for Children" on Dimension 5 D131 in 1968 (re-issued on King Records KICP-2632 in Japan in 2004). Electric Lucifer was followed by Electric Lucifer Book 2, which went unreleased until 2001 on CD and LP on QDK 037 in Germany. "Dance to the Music" was released in 1972 on Dimension 5 D161; Captain Entropy was released on cassette in 1972 (re-issued on LP on Dimension 5 1002 in 1983 and again in 2005 on King Records KICP-2640 in Japan) and was followed by "Ebenezer Electric" in 1976 (re-issued on King Records KICP-2635 in Japan in 2004); Other compilations followed. "Hush Little Robot" was released in 1998 on QDK in Germany. "Funky Doodle" was released in Japan. "Haackula" was released in 2007 on Omni Records 117.
Bruce Haack died in 1988.
liner notes: I invented all the electronic gimcrackery so that I could play and record "Lucifer." I made a keyboard synthesizer called "Adam 2" which works on three nine-volt batteries. I made a modulator which controls the wave-form of sound fed into it - also functioning on three nine-volt batteries. I do a a lot with touch - let electricity flow through our bodies and touch each other and the electricity becomes sound - through the speaker-of-the-house. I created "Farad" - an electronic voice - far-out Michael Faraday – anyday - everyday. "Farad" is programmed by touch and by proximity relays - and "Farad" is impossible to work with. The humane voice is so much better. But in order to tell you what I know, I had to build everything myself.
The album I'm working on now (work in progress) is not all electronic - I'm using every device I love. By the time it's finished, God knows what senses and mechanics will become sound of mind.
The Electric Lucifer says things which have always been around. I have unblocked a few media - both philosophical and technological- this is a good age of unblocking.
Among the things I love are lights and legends. Genetic memory is the key to knowledge. The bible seems to be a highly tuned, sensitive family of memories. As any literary work of promise - the bible promises to light the paths of men with illumination varying directly with each man's ability to see. And in this time of accelerating techmotion our eyes become more clear - our focus is no longer on the gods alone - nor humanity alone - but on the great alliance of Man-God-Knowledge. As we continue our psychic growth and increase our ability to unblock - to remember points along the infinite stream of memory-consciousness - so our communication increases even though our communicative media and devices are far from achieving the perfect information relay - silence.
In terms of the old ones - both Old and New Testaments were great studies of workable solution to human misbehaviors and were pieces of mystic insight. But the Further we go within and without matter and non-matter - the greater is the evolution of mysticism from fanatic to comprehensible.
To past generations the Bible could justify both love and war. Today we must know it as a love-bearing truth dialectic.
"The Electric Lucifer" begins with a quotation from Genesis: "And there was war in heaven." There probably was - in some other galactic haven. There were probably mistakes in other scenes - there was probably a migration of The Lucifer People to this solar system…."And he was cast out - and his angels with him." But that happened so long ago - it was so easy to forget. The war in heaven might have ended all wars. Maybe it will.
A primary function of "The Electric Lucifer" is to help end war - and hate and pain and fear. The god I want mankind to walk with hand-in-hand is so full of love and genius that even Lucifer, the eternal underdog, will be forgiven.
ASIDE TO LUCIFER...
"LUCIFER -- I READ THAT AFTER THE WAR YOU AND YOUR ANGELS WERE SENT OUT OF HEAVEN TO EARTH. MOST OF US LIKE IT HERE BUT WE DONT BELIEVE IN WAR. OUR NEWBORN ARE BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND MISTAKES OF THE OLD ONES. MAYBE THE ANGEL PEOPLE WILL ALL UNITE. THE KEY IS POWERLOVE."
-Bruce Haack
end liner notes
-Robert Williston
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