The Grateful Dead / John Oswald

Grayfolded

BY Daniel SylvesterPublished Jul 18, 2014

10
In 1993, Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead approached Kitchener composer John Oswald with a "far out" request; to give the Dead the Plunderphonic treatment. The resulting album, Grayfolded, was released the following year and was promptly celebrated by avant-garde-ists and Deadheads alike. Taking their classic live jam "Dark Star," Oswald built swirling anti-symphonies, layering over a hundred versions of the song onto this two-hour, two-part, two-CD release.

Twenty years later, Important Records has issued Grayfolded for the first time as a magnificent triple-LP vinyl set. Besides the music involved — which finds Oswald crafting otherworldly, meditative and beautiful compositions from Weir's endless guitar noodlings, Hart/Kruetzmann's greasy low-end and Garcia's oft-strained vocals — the reissue retains Oswald's extensive log of the source material, while adding brand new liner notes that include exclusive interviews with the Grateful Dead. Thanks to Important Records, a truly essential part of the Canadian experimental scene can again be explored by a generation of weirdoes and stoners.
(Important)

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