Composer, percussionist, sound poet, and radio producer Charles Amirkhanian (b. 1945) is a leading practitioner of electroacoustic music and text-sound composition and has been instrumental in the dissemination of contemporary music through his work as Music Director of KPFA/Berkeley from 1969 to 1992. He also directed the Speaking of Music series at the Exploratorium in San Francisco (1983-1992) and was the founding Co-Director (with John Lifton) of the Composer-to-Composer Festival in Telluride, Colorado (1988-1991). From 1993 to 1997 Amirkhanian was Executive Director of the Djerassi Resident Artists Program in Woodside, California. In 1998 Amirkhanian was appointed Executive Director of the Other Minds music festival. His music has been recorded on 1750 Arch Records, Composers Recordings, Inc., Giorno Poetry Systems, Fylkingen Records (Sweden), S Press (Germany), OU Records (England), Perspectives of New Music, and Diffusion i M
The Other Shore is a meeting of percussionist Cline, violinist Gauthier and guitarist Stinson in a live group improv that travels organically from fragile, Zen-like passages, where space becomes the dominant player, to dense sections of sheer sonic maelstrom (as on "Asunder," "Left On" and "Driving to Iceland"). It's no coincidence that their joint publishing company is named Radical Moodswinger Music.
As is usually the case with these kinds of highly experimental projects, the pieces unravel very gradually. In short, it's more about creating textures, setting moods and smashing convention along the way rather than establishing linear melodies or compositional integrity. There are moments of melodic inventiveness by Gauthier, who sounds classically trained and open-minded enough to follow the flow of the music. And Stinson does have a knack for concocting waves of ethereal, trancelike sound with his digital gadgetry. Cline seems like he's in more of a reactive role here, perhaps hemmed in by the precious nature of the project itself.
Too dark and edgy for New Age devotees and too soundscapey and swingless for the jazz crowd, this boldly subversive offering may appeal to fans of John Cage, David Torn, Fred Frith, Naked City and some of the more fringe artists on ECM, like Terje Rypdal or Torn's Everyman Band. But mainstream listeners will probably not have the patience to hang with this severe and somber art music.
- Jazztimes
Culled from live improvisations recorded onto mini-disc at Steven Hess' apartment (save for one track recorded at a show at the Empty Bottle in Chicago), Decisions is a collection of soundscape experimentation rooted in the electro-acoustic tradition mixed with elements of song craft and structure.
Very sparse. Interesting.
[Edit] You know, this starts out almost not there, just odd traces of arrhythmic percussion, but a few tracks in the rumbling starts, then the (sort of) rhythm, then the strange noises, and the energy really picks up. Glad I let Amiestreet give me a bargain on this.
Denver, I will check that one out - I tend to prefer 60's Bob to 70's Bob though.
Check out the large "1975" on the cover.
Plong42--that looks great. It's funny; when I click on the "Home" link on that page http://www.bobsboots.com/index.html turns out to be a charismatic Christian site called Kingdom Culture Ministries. Yes, Bob had a Christian phase, but there still seems to be something inconsistent there.
If he had been in any other band he would have been the big star. On the other hand, if he had been in any other band, without such competition, he might not have become as good as he finally was.
offthesky side project. A little denser/darker than offthesky stuff, and more musicians involved. Lots going on - good stuff. I notice that teo zini plays "droans". Would those be Buddhist drones?
Slow, melodic piano and poetry followed by slow, droning guitars and drum stabs. This is definitely pushing in the Sunn O)) and Nadja direction, but seems under-developed. The mix is also a slight problem.
Really interesting album from a couple of years back. Post-rock if anything I guess, but kind of doing its own thing. If you give it no other attention at least take a look at the remarkable video that was made for one of the tracks by animator Yannick Puig, I lived on the moon. (Of course with three quarters of a million hits you may have seen it already). Musically and visually genuine art. So imaginative.
Comments
Craig
- Weird.
Bliss. Pure bliss.
Charlene Kaye -Things I Will Need in the Past NYOP.
Thanks, Bad Thoughts.
Makunouchi Bento - Avebell Free.
Listening to Trembling Bells tracks on their myspace page.
Diane Dollar - Ran Away
This is a friend's daughter. Rough cut/work in progress track.
Decisions by Greg Davis & Steven Hess Very sparse. Interesting.
[Edit] You know, this starts out almost not there, just odd traces of arrhythmic percussion, but a few tracks in the rumbling starts, then the (sort of) rhythm, then the strange noises, and the energy really picks up. Glad I let Amiestreet give me a bargain on this.
Thanks to Jonah for this Bandcamp freebie.
Great playing, but I wish Rosenwinkel would do something other than use the "creamy" presets on his rack effects.
Plong42--that looks great. It's funny; when I click on the "Home" link on that page http://www.bobsboots.com/index.html turns out to be a charismatic Christian site called Kingdom Culture Ministries. Yes, Bob had a Christian phase, but there still seems to be something inconsistent there.
If he had been in any other band he would have been the big star. On the other hand, if he had been in any other band, without such competition, he might not have become as good as he finally was.
muridae - under the fable of meaning
offthesky side project. A little denser/darker than offthesky stuff, and more musicians involved. Lots going on - good stuff. I notice that teo zini plays "droans". Would those be Buddhist drones?
Thanks to Bad Thoughts for rec'ing Jonah's rec. Greatly enjoying this.
2 a.m., can't sleep. This Audio Gourmet stuff is excellent. Thanks, Brighternow.
I feel my brain growing already, baby!
Emeralds - What Happened - (No Fun Productions 2009)
Sunya is Rising by Life in the Dark (NYOP)
Slow, melodic piano and poetry followed by slow, droning guitars and drum stabs. This is definitely pushing in the Sunn O)) and Nadja direction, but seems under-developed. The mix is also a slight problem.
Casper Bangs - I Woke Up NYOP
Listening online. Thanks, ScissorMan
Tales and Dreams by Kwoon
Really interesting album from a couple of years back. Post-rock if anything I guess, but kind of doing its own thing. If you give it no other attention at least take a look at the remarkable video that was made for one of the tracks by animator Yannick Puig, I lived on the moon. (Of course with three quarters of a million hits you may have seen it already). Musically and visually genuine art. So imaginative.
Evangelical Christians can have good taste in music. I know this one guy who even listens to out there stuff like Godspeed You! Black Emperor.
/Edit: Fixed the Exclamation Point.