1st Imaginary Symphony For Nomad is an album by
The Music Tapes, a project consisting mainly of
Neutral Milk Hotel's
Julian Koster in 1999 by
Merge Records. It was recorded mainly on vintage equipment, using equipment such as a
1895 Edison wax cylinder recorder, a
1940s wire recorder, a "state of the art
hard drive", and reel to reel
tape recorders, hence its
lo-fi sound. A partial concept record, among its themes the power of television, and the death of 1950s actor
George Reeves, who played the hero Superman and whom
Koster was entranced with as a child. The album took over 4 years to assemble, being recorded mainly at the home of the Grandmother of Music Tapes and Koster's own home. The album mixed straightforward
pop songs with
collage,
musique concrète and traditional
storytelling.