Mentors

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Musicians to write home about

These musicians inspire me (bold links are my own pages on this website). Although I've not actually worked with them (yet...) (for those such people, see my teachers), their recordings and performances have been a constant source of wonder and joy. Check out their work; numbers 17-45 can be found at the world's best record shop Ultima Thule in Leicester.

Johann Sebastian Bach
Joseph Haydn
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Anton Bruckner
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Holst
Gyorgy Ligeti
Alfred Schnittke
Andrzej Panufnik and his daughter Roxanna
Mauricio Kagel (listen to this interview)
Gian-Francesco Malipiero
Luigi Dallapiccola
Luigi Nono
Dave Smith (list of works)
Veljo Tormis
Toru Takemitsu
Jonathan Harvey
Boguslaw Schaeffer
Francois Bayle
Delia Derbyshire
Klaus Schulze
Tangerine Dream
Robert Schroeder
Neuronium (see also this unofficial page)
Kraftwerk (Discography)
Ashra (Tempel)
Amon Duul II
Faust
Magma (on Seventh Records) (see also this interview, footage and links, web press book, pictures, Le site web du Journal Kobaien and an older site)
Univers Zero (on Cuneiform Records) (see also Phil Kime's history of UZ)
Shub Niggurath (Phil Kime's history of the band)
Bernard Szajner
Peter Frohmader
Henry Cow
Art Bears (on Recommended Records)
Miriodor (on Cuneiform Records)
Stereolab (and an unofficial site)
Nurse With Wound (Audion guide)
Algarnas Tradgard
Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes
Popol Vuh
Stephan Micus
Robert Rich and his sleep concerts
Brian Eno (biography)
Jon Hassell (on Lovely Music)
Ketama
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Giovanni Hidalgo (conguero supremo)
David Oladunni and all of my teachers
Ayub Ogada
Nana Tsiboe
Fela Kuti (check his complete discography - Warning: 6.36MB page! Disable images in your browser first)
Osibisa
Cymande
African Head Charge (on ON-U Sound)
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
The New Rotary Connection
Charles Stepney
Parliament/Funkadelic
Sun Ra
Miles Davis
Duke Ellington
Chico Hamilton
Mike & Mark Mondesir
Nikki Yeoh
Flora Purim
Joyce
Joni Mitchell
Goldfrapp
Bjork
Prince
Talk Talk
David Byrne
David Sylvian
Massive Attack
Patrick Forge's "Cosmic Jam"
Nobukazu Takemura & Spiritual Vibes
Maurizio and Basic Channel Recordings
Underground Resistance
Cristian Vogel
Keith LeBlanc
ON-U Sound (back catalogue)
Bill Laswell (on Axiom Records + 1999 interview)
Bob Marley
Lee 'Scratch' Perry and Dub Syndicate
The Celestials

You also may like to see my list of Top Toons.

Other essential artists

Aidan Andrew Dun - songsmith & weaver of words; read his critically acclaimed epic poem "Vale Royal" about London's mystical history
Andrei Tarkovsky - see his breathtaking films "Solaris", "Stalker", "Nostalgia" & "The Sacrifice" at the NFT's Tarkovsky Retrospective season in March 2005 :-)
Yves Tanguy - visionary painter of amorphous landscapes
Hieronymus Bosch - Medieval master of gothic demonic worlds
Doris Lessing - read her energising book "Shikasta" and the other CANOPUS IN ARGOS novels
Lots more writers