6/9/2008 12:17PM
Help Me Out Here (If You Can)
Looking for information about a song...

I am seeking information regarding background music used in a recent promo Chris Douridas recorded for KCRW in Santa Monica.

Back in 1973, Firesigner David Ossman recorded a solo album called How Time Flys. It's a "Hi-Fi Sci-Fi Comedy" concerning the exploits of future astronaut Mark Time, who returns to Earth after having been sent on a deep space mission to explore alien worlds.

There are a few segments in the recording where some very odd Muzak can be heard in the background. Here's an MP3 of the first segment of the album, in which Mark is slowly brought out of suspended animation by his automated space craft:

How Time Flys, cut 1 (MP3)

I had the opportunity to ask David about the odd Muzak three years ago. He told me he didn't know what the source music was but he remembered that the album's producer, Steve Gillmor, used a Mellotron to create it.

So it was with considerable surprise and delight that, while listening to KCRW recently, I heard a promo recorded by one of their mainstay DJs, Chris Douridas - the background music sounds very much like it could be the original version of the odd muzak used on the "How Time Flys" album.

KCRW Promo (Chris Douridas) - May 2008 (MP3)

I would greatly appreciate it if anyone reading this can identify the source music for this KCRW promo. I asked them about it but they were unable to provide a definitive answer. If you know what this piece of music is, please contact me!