''Soothing Sounds for Baby'' (1962) is a three-volume set of ambient
electronic music
Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroa ...
by American composer, musician, and inventor
Raymond Scott
Raymond Scott (born Harry Warnow; September 10, 1908 – February 8, 1994) was an American composer, band leader, pianist, record producer, and inventor of electronic instruments.
Though Scott never scored cartoon soundtracks, his music is ...
. Scott originally intended to lull infants to sleep with the music, but later generations have found value in the music for its
minimalist
In visual arts, music and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in post– World War II in Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimalism include Do ...
aspects, often comparing it to the works of
Brian Eno,
Kraftwerk and
Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music band founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The group has seen many personnel changes over the years, with Froese having been the only constant member until his death in January 2015. The best-known lineup ...
despite having predated such artists by more than a decade.
Originally released in collaboration with the
Gesell Institute of Human Development, the volumes are split up into three age groups: Volume 1 is 1 to 6 months; Volume 2 is 6 to 12 months; and Volume 3 is 12 to 18 months. The music gets more complex with each volume. Scott created much of the music on the albums with instruments he created, such as the Electronium and the
Clavivox. "Particularly on Soothing Sounds for Baby, Scott proved to be one of the first composers to merge the Brave New World of electronic sounds with a rhythmic pop sensibility."
[
] Basta Music of Holland reissued the albums as 3 individual CDs and as a 3-LP box set in 1997.
In 2017, ''Music On Vinyl'' in cooperation with Basta Music pressed a limited edition of 1,000 copies on silver-coloured vinyl.
Notes
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External links
Soothing Sounds for Baby at raymondscott.com
Ambient albums by American artists
1962 compilation albums
Children's music albums
Raymond Scott albums
Epic Records albums