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Terry Riley - The Columbia Recordings (4-CD Box Set)

The definitive reissue of Terry Riley’s pioneering works for Columbia Masterworks.

This deluxe 4-CD box set from Sony Music brings together the seminal Columbia recordings of Terry Riley, a visionary composer whose influence on minimalist and electronic music continues to ripple through generations. Thoughtfully presented with archival materials, this collection offers an essential document of Riley’s most transformative period when the pulse of innovation met the possibilities of high-fidelity sound.

This box set is more than a collection of recordings it is a rare window into a time when the avant-garde found a home in major-label studios and groundbreaking artists like Riley were given space to explore uncharted sonic territory. From his mesmeric electric keyboard and saxophone improvisations to his pioneering use of analog tape delay, every track here pulses with the spirit of experimentation. Starting with the original 1968 recording of In C, captured at Columbia’s legendary 30th Street Studio, by revered engineer Fred Plaut, the set includes four seminal works by Riley that helped shape not only the minimalist movement but much of the late 20th century avant-garde landscape.

Designed with collectors in mind, the box includes:

• The 1968 Columbia recording of In C, A Rainbow In Curved Air, Church of Anthrax (in collaboration with John Cale of the Velvet Underground) and Shri Camel.
• Rarely seen archival photographs from the 30th Street Studio sessions.
• 50-page booklet featuring:
• First-hand reflections from David Behrman, the original producer of In C and A Rainbow in Curved Air; Essay by Thomas Welsh, Terry Riley’s longtime manager and archivist, and has written extensively about music in the 20th century.
• Reprints of all essays and notes from the original vinyl releases.

This reissue celebrates not only Terry Riley’s contributions to modern music but also the cultural conditions that made these recordings possible: a record label willing to take artistic risks, a community of radical composers, and a generation of listeners eager to explore the unknown.

An essential addition to any serious collection of 20th-century music.

TERRY RILEY - THE COLUMBIA RECORDINGS