F.C. Judd - Electronics Without Tears

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5...according to our Ant on Thu 19 Jan, 2012.

Hats off to Public Information for their services to the electronic music community in issuing these almost forgotten works by early British electronic music pioneer Frederick Charles Judd (1914-1992). Frederick used engineering skills gained in the RAF during the second World War to experiment with electronic sounds in the mid 1950's, skills he would eventually utilise to create his own synthesizer in the early 60's. His legacy is impressive to say the least but somehow his name seems to have slipped into relative obscurity. I think with all of these type of collections it's very much worth bearing in mind that the audio was never conceived to be presented as an album, rather this is like a glimpse into an artists sketch book, full of works in progress, experiments and documents for referance. Hearing Fred's voice open the album is really very endearing and gives the notion that he was quite the tinkerer with cables and components cluttering a workspace that smelt of fresh solder. The sounds are to die for with all manner of strange alien oscillations, primitive sci-fi sounds, tape and concrète explorations and Fred's narrative of the working process. There are thirty five tracks in total, each giving a tiny glimpse into the mind of a true future thinker. It also includes tracks from the 3 EP's he released on Studio G in 1970. This is easily up there with the achievements of early Radiophonic Workshop material etc. Fantastic stuff that has really made my day and comes highly recommended.

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Public Information presents the first ever compilation of the lost work of British electronic music pioneer Frederick Charles Judd. Electronics Without Tears represents a mammoth undertaking between Public Information, film artist Ian Helliwell and F.C. Judd's widow Freda and son Peter. Trawling through his tape archives Public Information have pulled almost an hour's worth of material into a sonic whole that easily stands alongside that of Judd's better known peers, Delia Derbyshire, Daphne Oram and John Baker.

Fred pursued a career marked by innovation, invention and exploration, disseminating his new electronic music across the country through lectures, radio and writing. The 35 tracks on Electronic Without Tears highlight a prolific and thrilling era in Fred's life, next generation music and sound entirely made at home, with self-built equipment.

"This is Fred Judd here... in the background you can hear some of my electronic ramblings.."

Mastered by Rashad at Dubplates and Mastering. Sleeve artwork by Optigram.

RECORD COLLECTOR REISSUE OF THE MONTH - JAN
"the best reissue of early electronic music since the 2007 release of Daphne Oram’s Oramics."
Mark Brend
http://www.recordcollectormag.com/reviews/review-detail/7921

WIRE MAGAZINE - DECEMBER

"Fred Judd, as he refers to himself in the spoken interludes to this charming retrospective collection of recordings made in the 1960s, deserves a special mention on

as a perfect example of the amateur experimenter." Ken Hollings.

NoFearOfPop
"a strangely captivating journey through the early age of electronic music making ... everything here is both tremendously worthwhile and highly entertaining. A truly indispensable release."
http://nofearofpop.net/2012/01/f-c-judd-electronics-without-tears/

Jim Jupp - (Ghost Box/Belbury Poly)
"this is really great"

Perc (Perc Trax)
"Garden shed electronics, with a hint of Meek magic, I could listen to it all day"

Jonny Trunk (Trunk Records)
"Super!"