Into the Shadow Realm of Library Music

The Precursors to the Madlib Music Invazion Music Library Series

Above: One of the classics of “library” music, from Argentinian composer and keyboardist Luis Vecchio. As per standard with these releases, the other musicians involved are not credited. The album offers levels-above-generic renderings of Westernized African rhythms — “Green Hell” builds on a captivating, propulsive 6/8 groove — and contains more than a few intense solo turns. Used in film and television productions since its release in 1971, Afro-Rock enjoyed a second heyday as sample material during the early days of hip-hop. If you were listening in the 1990s, you probably heard some of these anonymous but hardly generic grooves.

In a sense, the Madlib Invazion records, discussed earlier this week, are modern music-production tool kits patterned after the pioneering labels in this interesting sidecar industry — De Wolfe music, Bruton, KPM and Themes, among others. (Take a peek at the offerings from one of the dominant players in this space — De Wolfe music, which originally issued Afro-Rock in 1971.)

The Madlib Invazion Shades of Mauve project, from Mario Luciano and Lauren Santi, emulates the sleek, non-intrusive background aesthetic these labels pursued, with plush, comfortable backgrounds cradling slight, deceptively resonant wisps of melody. Everything treads lightly, but that doesn’t mean the music should automatically be ignored: Within the patterns of this “utility” music, this wallpaper art, are expressions of disarming beauty.

Below: Stops along a journey into the shadow realm of library music….

(For express travel to the swirling-organ psychedelia of 1969, go right to “Senor Thump” at 14:37).