CJ Mitchell speaks with composer Andrew Poppy about The Beating of Wings, his 1985 debut album, now remastered and reissued on False Walls. Poppy traces his development through experimental music, dance, theatre and studio work, recalling the influences of John Cage, Philip Glass and Steve Reich. They explore his relationship with ZTT Records and the album’s four compositions, each realised through a different recording approach. Their conversation considers the interplay between acoustic instruments and electronics, the significance of artwork and poetry, and the experience of listening to an album as a complete work, revisited more than forty years after release.

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Photography by

Henrik Knudsen (Image above)

Jack Symes (Image below)