Composer

:

Steve Reich

Genre

:

Electronic/Computer

Style

:

Electronic Music

Compose Date

:

1965

Average_duration

:

17:51

Movement_count

:

2

Movement ....

"It's Gonna Rain" is a minimalist composition by Steve Reich, composed in 1965. The piece is considered one of the earliest examples of phasing, a technique that involves gradually shifting the phase relationship between two identical or similar musical patterns. The composition consists of a recording of a Pentecostal preacher named Brother Walter, who is heard preaching about the end of the world and the story of Noah's Ark. The recording is then manipulated and looped, creating a dense and hypnotic texture of overlapping voices and rhythms. The piece is divided into two movements, each lasting approximately 17 minutes. The first movement features a single loop of Brother Walter's voice, gradually shifting out of phase with itself. As the loop repeats, the words become increasingly fragmented and distorted, creating a sense of disorientation and chaos. The second movement features two loops of Brother Walter's voice, each playing at a slightly different speed. The resulting phasing effect creates a complex and constantly evolving rhythmic pattern, with the words of the preacher becoming almost unintelligible. "It's Gonna Rain" premiered in New York City in 1965, and quickly became a landmark work in the development of minimalist music. The piece is characterized by its use of repetition, gradual transformation, and the manipulation of recorded sound. It is also notable for its exploration of the relationship between speech and music, and the ways in which meaning can be obscured or transformed through repetition and fragmentation. Overall, "It's Gonna Rain" is a powerful and innovative work that continues to influence contemporary music to this day. Its use of phasing and manipulation of recorded sound have become hallmarks of the minimalist style, and its exploration of the relationship between speech and music remains a fertile area of artistic inquiry.

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