Etymology (album)


Etymology is an audio source library recorded in 1995 by Skeleton Crew. It was released by Rarefaction in 1997 in the United States on audio CD and CD-ROM for Macintosh and Windows 95 PCs. The sound files are royalty free, and Rarefaction stated that they are free for use in "musical or multimedia project".

Background

Skeleton Crew was an American experimental rock and jazz group formed in 1982. They originally consisted of English guitarist Fred Frith and American cellist Tom Cora, with American harpist and keyboardist Zeena Parkins joining later. Although the group disbanded in 1986, Frith and Cora collaborated again in The Netherlands in 1995 as Skeleton Crew to record Etymology.
Frith later used Cora's cello samples on Etymology in "Traffic Continues II: Gusto", an extended piece Frith composed for Ensemble Modern on their 2000 album, Traffic Continues. Cora had died in 1998, and Frith dedicated "Traffic Continues II: Gusto" to Cora.

Track listing

  1. "0dB Test Tone A440" – 0:32
  2. "Actions " – 0:23
  3. "Gestures " – 1:53
  4. "Swells " – 1:15
  5. "Boiler " – 0:42
  6. "Caste Rhythm" – 0:08
  7. "Caste Rhythm Loops " – 0:11
  8. "Gliss Rhythm" – 0:08
  9. "Gliss Rhythm Loops " – 0:09
  10. "Hand Tambour" – 0:16
  11. "Hand Tambour Loops " – 0:24
  12. "Livid Gaze" – 0:13
  13. "Livid Gaze Loops " – 0:19
  14. "Percolatte" – 0:17
  15. "Percolatte Loops " – 0:23
  16. "Pluck Taps" – 0:11
  17. "Pluck Tap Loops " – 0:11
  18. "Pouncers " – 0:16
  19. "Scride" – 0:11
  20. "Scride Loops " – 0:14
  21. "Slackedback" – 0:17
  22. "Slackedback Loops " – 0:24
  23. "Stap" – 0:23
  24. "Stap Loops " – 0:29
  25. "Brush" – 0:12
  26. "Brush Loops " – 0:16
  27. "Random " – 0:52
  28. "Vignettes " – 1:55
  29. "Armageddon" – 0:28
  30. "Armageddon Cuts " – 0:37
  31. "Noxoous" – 0:52
  32. "Noxous Loops " – 0:56
  33. "Steamleak" – 0:16
  34. "Steamleak Loops " – 0:28
  35. "Tandrum" – 0:48
  36. "Tandrum Loops " – 0:51
  37. "4 Questions" – 0:08
  38. "4 Questions Loops " – 0:11
  39. "Complete Sentence" – 0:15
  40. "Phrase Loops " – 0:23
  41. "Data Trash Shuffle" – 1:26
  42. "Data Trash Loops " – 1:39
  43. "Lexical Tantrum" – 0:18
  44. "Lexical Tantrum Loops " – 0:25
  45. "Line and Shine" – 0:21
  46. "Line and Shine Loops " – 0:26
  47. "Parsing Reel" – 0:33
  48. "Parsing Reel Loops " – 0:41
  49. "Phonology" – 0:18
  50. "Phonology Loops " – 0:18
  51. "Whistler's Other" – 0:49
  52. "Whistler's Other Loops " – 0:53
  53. "X-Bar Theory" – 0:33
  54. "X-Bar Theory Loops " – 0:35
  55. "Actions " – 0:24
  56. "Axons " – 0:29
  57. "Diphtongs " – 0:40
  58. "Gyri " – 0:32
  59. "Neural Chumps " – 0:27
  60. "Scritch " – 0:20
  61. "Snattre " – 0:21
  62. "Adage A" – 0:52
  63. "Adage A Cuts " – 1:00
  64. "Adage B" – 0:28
  65. "Adage B Cuts " – 0:33
  66. "Adage C" – 0:36
  67. "Adage C Cuts " – 0:47
  68. "Adage Coda" – 0:25
  69. "Adage Coda Cuts " – 0:37
  70. "Adage D" – 0:22
  71. "Adage D Cuts " – 0:28
  72. "Laryngio " – 0:27
  73. "Patterns " – 0:38
  74. "Statements " – 0:41
  75. "Quarter Loner " – 0:56
  76. "Bassis " – 0:53
  77. "The Bends 1 " – 0:38
  78. "The Bends 2 " – 0:47
  79. "Crackles & Rips " – 0:26
  80. "Creaks " – 0:09
  81. "Friction " – 0:31
  82. "Industrial " – 0:14
  83. "Scrapes " – 0:24
  84. "Scrawls/Scratches " – 0:43
  85. "Percussive " – 0:24
  86. "Bounces " – 0:20
  87. "Chordal " – 0:28
  88. "Flutterance " – 0:37
  89. "Tonal " – 1:16
  90. "Vox-like " – 0:22
  91. "Dissonance " – 0:25
  92. "High " – 0:18
  93. "Metallic " – 0:39
  94. "Rosin Haw " – 0:36
  95. "Overtones " – 0:40
Source: Etymology liner notes, Fred Frith discography.

Personnel

  • Fred Frith – guitar, electromagnetic translations
  • Tom Cora – cello, cello resonated objects
Source: Discogs, Fred Frith discography.

Sound and artwork

Recorded at Koeinverhuurbdrijf Studio, Purmerland, The Netherlands in 1995
Source: Etymology liner notes, Fred Frith discography.