New Release Nov. 2010 “Janus and Juno”
Hello friends. I hope you enjoy my latest release called “Janus and Juno.” A set featuring two works named after Juno – Queen of the Gods – and Janus – God of Doors. Janus comes first, unlocking the door and then you proceed to Juno, the Queen of Gods. Enjoy!!
Tchaikovsky in the Afternoon – Nov. 2010
Here is a new release for November for piano (all sounds being derived from the piano). I am working on a video for this which will include a little more thoughts on the work, so look forward to a post to follow shortly.
“Safe Passage” RESEÑAS MUSICAL
Here is a short review of Safe Passage.
J.C. Combs
SAFE PASSAGE
Electroshock Records
2009
Llamativo trabajo experimental, basado en la combinación de técnicas de collage sonoro con audiopaisajes urbanos y atmósferas musicales.
Las piezas, con títulos como por ejemplo “Trinity 666 – The Last Train to Hell” (que cierra el disco), “November 13, 2009″, o “The Giant Eye of the 5th Dimension”, son como audiorretratos, algunos realistas, otros con toques sobrenaturales, que oscilan entre los aires costumbristas y el Ambient oscuro, además de entre otras influencias.
DOMINIQUE CHEVANT
A remarkable experimental work based in the combination of techniques of collage of sound with urban audio passages and musical atmospheres, this is a noteworthy album. The themes, with such titles as for example “Trinity 666 – The Last Train to Hell” (closing the album), “November 13, 2009″, or “The Giant Eye of the 5th Dimension”, are some sort of audio portraits, some realistic, others with supernatural touches, flowing from folk airs and dark ambient among other influences. – DOMINIQUE CHEVANT – www.amazings.com
ImprovFriday Vol. 2 Track Listing and Album Art
Dear Readers,
The ImprovFriday community is very thrilled to announce the release of ImprovFriday Vol. 2. After several months of hard work on the part of the curator team, the project is just about ready for release. Here is a look at the track listing and art work.
ImprovFriday – Vol. 2 Track Listing
1. Steve Moyes – Walls and Whispers 07:37
2. Roger “Erocnet” Sundström – What Happened 03:22
3. Jeff Duke – Null 03:56
4. Benjamin Smith – Ben.improv.Jul.5.2010 06:17
5. Paul H. Muller – Bells and Drone 02:45
6. Alexandra Marculewicz Adshead and Johnny & Faith – Who Could Resist? 02:03
7. Paul Hertz – Melody η 03:25
8. Jim Goodin – It Is But a Moment 04:47
9. Steve Layton – Swamp Fire 04:34
10.Lee Noyes – Kowhai, Kowhai Sings 09:27
11.Jérôme Poirier – Crayons 01:54
12.Adam Kondor – Mijn eenvoudige liefde 06:00
13.Richard Lainhart – Endless Column 04:00
Affliction Suite – For Piano
Over the last couple months I’ve been working on a new compositional system involving piano, microphone and computer. There are a total of four works with strong improvisational elements (the pieces were created with the event ImprovFriday in mind) which I am releasing to my independent label, Cellar Door. I am titling it “Affliction Suite, for piano.” Visit Cellar Door Records for more selections.
AFFLICTION SUITE – for piano
- 1. A Fork in the Road.
- 2. No contest.
- 3. Obsessed.
- 4. The drone in my life.
Performed on a Baldwin.
16,000 unique visitors
I want to thank all the deranged individuals who have stuck with my blog through its active and dormant times! I’ve been busy of late with ImprovFriday and projects, so the blog has taken a slight hit. I also have had some personal obligations the last couple months. Once again, thanks for reading!
Join us over at ImprovFriday for this weekend’s event!
The New Rules (part 2)
I made a promise that I would list the potential shortcomings of the contemporary composer who lacks traditional classical music training. Here is my list in no particular order of importance.
- 1. Your “classically educated” friends will think you’re silly when you mispronounce tricky composer names like “Haydn.”
2. Allegretto? Is this something off an Italian restaurant menu?
3. If you’re going to compose a piece comprised of one note for an hour, you should fucking know how to read it! I mean, how are you going to memorize one note if you have to repeat it?
4. A true story (composer to remain anonymous) – Says he likes MIDI and works with Finale “Notepad,” and then tells me, after some direct probing on my part, that he has “Logic.” Hey people, how are you going to use your “classically trained street smarts” if you can’t figure out what program to use?
5. You annoyingly clap at the end of every movement at the symphony. The hot date you brought along (first date no less), whom you’ve been emphasizing your “composer” status to use as an aphrodisiac, now thinks you’re a moron and a phony.
6. You have repeat nightmares of sonata form, in the form of a horribly gigantic wig chasing you down an illustrious, lavish hallway. You reach the end, but are brought back to the beginning. The nightmare seems to change slightly, but the end result is always the same with the wig recounting your steps and, surprise, a piano falls on you (THREE TIMES!).
7. You don’t know what you’re doing!! Its that simple!
8. Someone approaches you with a commission for flute and violin. What the fuck is a flute?
9. You decide to compose a piece with pitch material comprised of a porn soundtrack.
10. How do you plan to have a good concert if you conduct like someone playing an air guitar at a karaoke bar?
The New Rules (part 1)
Ladies and Gentlemen,
If you have been following this space, you have had the privilege of witnessing first hand, a composer composing in the most traditional (notated untradititional) sense, to then flip everything over on its head. As for the former, I used to blog regularly about my compositions as they were notated, clean, and eventually “shaped” to a realization to my expectations. An early example of the approach I used is not too dissimilar to Conlon Nancarrow’s piano studies.
I have visited both sides of the gigantic scale of new “classical” (“amaranth”) music and here I am reporting back.
Not since the days of MIDI – or as an even better example – the first synthesizer – have things evolved this fast and changed so dratically. To put it bluntly, digital audio workstations are the Holy Grail of new classical music. But in this case (as opposed to MIDI/synthesizer), its insanely here and now – relevant to mainstream art and (for lack of a better term) the avant-garde, without apology.
I will happily continue to notate music. However, the symphony, I can solidly attest to, is not located at your nearest concert hall anymore. Your symphony is located inside someone’s computer which can regenerate any experience, record live (improvisations of all varieties), and invent (the key). Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, I believe would be the first to agree if they by some miraculous chance were somehow shuttled to our present time.
In this sense, the tradition of “old” classical music needs to be carried on now more than ever. The legacy of counterpoint, voice leading, etc., definitely has value moving forward into the new universe of music. The fact that one can get away with composing new music without learning the foundation of classical music is a point worthy of stopping at and digesting. I will go into this further to some extend by way of Part 2. I hope you revisit this topic as I will point out my opinion regarding potential shortcomings of the new composer which I guarantee will surprise you.
Cellar Door Records – Redux
My netlabel has a home now – a site purely for downloads in high quality sound – flac, OGG, mp3 (320 sampling), etc. Stop by.
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