Week 42 10/20/19

The shock of vision insists upon creative realization.

The era of critical upheaval brings about change and enlightenment. This does not happen on its own or in a vacuum, as it were.  It is subject to many things, among them materialism and cultural stereotypes that must be transcended.  What does this mean?

There is no cliche, only the failure to regard forward thinking.

Progress is a function of intent, driven by dynamic and momentum.  Expand your thinking to grasp application of force.

Week 35 9/1/19

Creativity is far more rare than commonly understood.

This is because there is value on the one hand, and price on the other.  What is the cost of freedom in a free culture?  What is that which is priceless worth?

Opening

Merge sound and setting.

Within the dynamic of such an atmosphere, possibility and action can converge, thought finds form, and meanings become clear.  Music in other forms serves various purposes, but sound as expression of consciousness in real time opens the doors of perception.

Commission

The Black Mountain School project creates sound environments.

These sound environments are designed to complement diverse settings by replicating the paradigms of spontaneously occurring aural phenomena, both "natural" and "man-made".  As such, these works are not predicated upon concepts that are traditionally "musical", but rather upon the perceptual qualities of active listening and passive hearing.  Such perspectives are associated with apprehension of tones, patterns, and myriad variations of sonic impressions, some based upon aesthetic constructs of the visual arts.

Peculiar methods and techniques necessary to compose sonic atmospheres of this nature originate solely with the Black Mountain School project and continue to be developed in our studio.  While the listener may detect a host of artistic influences, these are unavoidably displaced in the course of the work by the intent and goals of the compositions and recordings.  In objective terms, the discriminating listener will find no other "experimental" or "mainstream" productions that are analogous to the work of Black Mountain School.

Were it otherwise the case, the project would have no purpose, and no raison d'être.

Minimal, Singular

Refer to Poe.  Every word contributes to desired total effect; those failing to do so must be excised.

Originality is more often a matter of removing, rather than adding content.  With sounds, one also manipulates imagery in the way of words, as connections to the imagination. 

Through ideas, juxtapositions, archetypes, emotions, tones, that is to say, all the systems and structures in the continuum of creative force, visions conveyed become visions inspired.

Upon Reflection

While designing a work of manipulated sounds the interest is focused on the process, and in large part it is the case that what might be generously called the composer's perspective-- fed by the familiar works that directly or indirectly influence the outcome of the sound design-- is not very apparent over the course of that process.  Later, following a number of times spent listening, some of those influences come to mind.

There are some basics informing all these Black Mountain School works, from general elements of sound and production to specific pieces.

Generally speaking, along with such works as Eno's Music for Airports and On Land, it is possible to perceive the impact of a variety of musicians and albums upon the sound and production qualities.  Among them are Pink Floyd's Ummagumma, Wendy Carlos' Sonic Seasonings, Roxy Music's For Your Pleasure, and the "atmospheric" qualities of such diverse albums as Miles Davis' Kind of Blue, Close To The Edge by Yes, Green River by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Azimuth by the group of the same name, Nat Adderley's Calling Out Loud, and a variety of tracks by The Doors, David Bowie, and The Velvet Underground.

Quite likely there are some elements of The Three Stooges in there as well.