Inner Cities 10

Equal parts porno mag and Bible, this 4-CD set may very well be the perfect desert island album. Each note of Alvin Curran’s sprawling masterpiece is pregnant with possibilities, most of which the composer spontaneously explores while coaxing the listener to peek over his shoulder and guess which note he’s going to write down next. This is music for cat lovers who understand and appreciate the allure of feline aloofness. Exponentially more addictive than any soap opera known to mankind, Curran’s music may actually grow tired of you listening before you even get a chance to become sick of it hanging around, purring in your lap.

Beautifully performed by Belgian powerhouse Daan Vandewalle, the beginning of Inner Cities 10 is an utterly moving statement: a heavenly undulation akin to the nature of the tides, and a growing tidal wave brewing into a full-blown tsunami. Nearly 50 minutes go by until one begins to fathom the magnitude of this unfolding musical orgy. Then, Vandewalle delivers the money shot in the form of a colossal orgasm that sonically encompasses the entire history of Western music. I’m not kidding. It’s two minutes of sheer heaven—not to discount the remaining four hours of kick-ass music on this stellar release.

—RN