Media

Irv’s work affected many who experienced it. Here’s a collection of colorful media quotes, ranging from newspapers and scholarly journals to a wide variety of consumer and special interest magazines, from the late 60s to today. Hover over quotes for citations. Click to view original articles.

Sonic Tonic
College students are tripping over a new stereo LP
Cheaper than booze, safer than pot
Fundamentally unlike the various other sound-effect recordings
The Pacific Ocean may yet make Top 40
Among the best recordings selections of the year
Bring the sounds of nature into civilization’s jaded living room
Wouldn’t Mr. Poe just love it
Lovely, liberating sounds
With a flip of the disc, you can change the weather
Unlike any other LP ever released
Heighten active dispositions or induce more relaxed ones
A warm sonic bath
Teibel’s recordings do more than serve as sonic wallpaper or glorified sound effects
Exquisitely-recorded and painstakingly-produced
They could well be the most imaginative use of recorded sound in the 99 1/2-year history of the phonograph
Waves come splashing out of the speakers
One of the most distinctive characteristics of the ‘environments’ LPs is their realism
One of the subtlest things Irv Teibel has discovered is the importance of sequences—one sound following another
Irv Teibel has gone to extraordinary lengths to record nature
Functional, like bars of soap
A wonderful orchestration of nature’s sounds
‘Environments’ conjure up images and ideas we seldom bring to mind
A susurrant lullaby
Ahead of his time
An amazingly versatile environmental classic
Teibel helped create a sonic boom with his recordings of pounding surf, chirping birds and other natural sounds
The series ignited a worldwide interest in field recordings
The craftsmanship… is quite astounding
The recordings of rain, oceans, crickets and birdsong were more than ‘white noise’—they exposed urbanites to nature
Extraordinarily soothing
You’re not supposed to listen
Sonic Tonic
College students are tripping over a new stereo LP
Cheaper than booze, safer than pot
Fundamentally unlike the various other sound-effect recordings
The Pacific Ocean may yet make Top 40
Among the best recordings selections of the year
Bring the sounds of nature into civilization’s jaded living room
Wouldn’t Mr. Poe just love it
Lovely, liberating sounds
With a flip of the disc, you can change the weather
Unlike any other LP ever released
Heighten active dispositions or induce more relaxed ones
A warm sonic bath
Teibel’s recordings do more than serve as sonic wallpaper or glorified sound effects
Exquisitely-recorded and painstakingly-produced
They could well be the most imaginative use of recorded sound in the 99 1/2-year history of the phonograph
Waves come splashing out of the speakers
One of the most distinctive characteristics of the ‘environments’ LPs is their realism
One of the subtlest things Irv Teibel has discovered is the importance of sequences—one sound following another
Irv Teibel has gone to extraordinary lengths to record nature
Functional, like bars of soap
A wonderful orchestration of nature’s sounds
‘Environments’ conjure up images and ideas we seldom bring to mind
A susurrant lullaby
Ahead of his time
An amazingly versatile environmental classic
Teibel helped create a sonic boom with his recordings of pounding surf, chirping birds and other natural sounds
The series ignited a worldwide interest in field recordings
The craftsmanship… is quite astounding
The recordings of rain, oceans, crickets and birdsong were more than ‘white noise’—they exposed urbanites to nature
Extraordinarily soothing
You’re not supposed to listen
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References

  1. “Sonic Tonic.” Newsweek, 10 Nov. 1969.
  2. Botto, Louis. “In the Know.” The Village Voice, 5 May 1970.
  3. Goldman, Albert. “Surf, birds and acoustic overkill.” Life, 5 May 1970.
  4. Ferris, Tim. “Syntonic Research: Sounds of Silence.” Rolling Stone, 2 April 1972.
  5. Caen, Herb. “Monday’s Child.” San Francisco Chronicle.
  6. Jahn, Mike. “Top Pop.” Cue, 9 Dec. 1974.
  7. “Bump in the Night.” Newsweek, 10 Feb. 1975.
  8. Grace, Alexa. “Only a Heartbeat Away.” New York Magazine, 10 Feb. 1975.
  9. Walker, Gerald. “The World is Alive with the Sound of Sounds.” The New York Times, 2 Mar 1975, p. 95.
  10. “Getting it on with the Swamp Folk.” Playgirl, vol. 3, no. 12, May 1975.
  11. “Thump! Ooh! Thump! Ah!” Playboy, vol. 22, no. 6, June 1975.
  12. Burger, Jeff. “Environments on Vinyl.” High Fidelity, June 1975.
  13. Ditlea, Steve. “Sounds of the Whole Earth.” High Times, June 1976, pp. 61-93.
  14. Ditlea, Steve. “Sensuous Sounds.” American Home, Feb. 1977.
  15. Agres, Ted. “Sounds of Nature Are Music to Our Ears.” The News World, 15 March 1977.
  16. Ditlea, Steve. “Inducing Meditation by Phonograph Record?” Los Angeles Times, 20 March 1977, p. V80.
  17. Salewicz, Chris. “Photography for the Ears?” Musical Express, June 1977.
  18. Midas, Sophia. “Pursuing Nature’s Infinite Sounds.” Record World, 15 July 1978.
  19. Sagarin, Dave. “Ear Conditioners: Shape Your Own Sound Environment.” Popular Mechanics, July 1978, pp. 90-92.
  20. Berns, Rima. “Strenuous Efforts Needed to Record Relaxing Sounds.” The Citizen, 31 May 1979, pp. 69-70, 80.
  21. Sunier, John. “Environmental Platters to Help Fight the Energy Crunch.” Focus, Sept. 1979, p. 31.
  22. Pierson, Gene. “Psychologically Perfect Aural Environment.” The Inner Guide, Aug. 1981, pp. 4-5.
  23. Burke, Jack. “The Wax Works.” Stevens Point Daily Journal, 30 Dec. 1981.
  24. Kerns, Julie M. “Music in the Key of Life.” Austin Monthly Magazine, April 1984, pp. 33-34.
  25. Price, Mark. “Singing Birds, Lapping Waves Aare the Audio Rage.” Observer Times, 20 Oct. 90.
  26. Wright, Carol. “New Recordings Starring Nature.” Napa Trade Journal, Sept. 1994, p. 79.
  27. Levin, Steve. “Ear Freshener.” Dallas Morning News, 12 Jan. 1995.
  28. Cummings, Jim. “Irv Teibel Died This Week: Creator of 1970s ‘Environments’ LPs.” Ecology Institute, 2 Nov. 2010.
  29. LeBlanc, Larry. “Hooked on Environments.” The Record, Toronto.
  30. Finn, Christine. “Wild Tracks.” The Biologist, vol. 59, no. 3, 1 Aug. 2012, pp. 31-32.
  31. Heckman, Don. “Elusive Music – But a Pleasant Place to Be.” The New York Times, 25 July, 1971.
  32. Haber, Leo. “You’re Not Supposed to Listen.” The New York Times, 5 Oct. 1969.
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