Dreamtime

Sounds reach consciousness through the senses and resonate in memory.

Accordingly, the listener responds, the composer creates, and the evolution of aural imagery unfolds in ways both concrete and ethereal.

Point of the Spear

Science can not reproduce all phenomena, nor replicate consciousness.  It cannot be free of human error, and it can be misused and misinterpreted for non-scientific ends.

Still, science can be an art, and a means to exploration of ideas and concepts impossible to reach otherwise; I, like numerous artists, am indebted to scientific method and study for the capabilities and inspirations technology provides.  Imagination expands with technology, as does science, mutatis mutandis, with imagination.  There is often a great deal of confusion related to the experimental in music and sound, simply because such works are, in many cases, ill-defined and the result of  so-called "spontaneous" events.  While these certainly have their place, for works to be the outcome of experimental processes, they must be considered in the abstract, that is to say, in the postulation of theories, and follow procedures designed to be replicated in order to attain desirable outcomes.

It cannot be overly stressed that this sense of a fundamentally scientific approach is at work in every Black Mountain School composition and recording. These are works created by intent, not accident.

Clairaudience and Reason

Consciousness, and certainly human consciousness, is, according to contemporary evidence and understanding, a rarity in the known universe.

As artist and composer, I hear things that are not present to the ear, sense their objective reality, and bring these atmospheric, auditory images into being through electronic media in ways that were not possible as recently as twenty years ago.  These are works of the inner ear, to be communicated as such to the listener, offering peculiar perspectives in hearing and listening that may contribute to balanced states of mind as well as encouraging clarity of percipience.

Out of the Vasty Deep

Rustle of leaves.  Unfamiliar cries of a strange, wild creature.

Walking out, experience vestigial perceptions of sound imagery impressed upon forgotten ancestors.

Unrevealed Waves

Pause, and listen consciously.

One may take the greatest of care, yet still sense that much goes unobserved. Increasing awareness, one gains comprehension of consciousness and the world.

Therefore, whenever possible, the composer clarifies, interprets, and explicates the imagined through representations of the real.

Breakdown: A Simple Analysis

Social norms and expectations limit perceptivity, particularly in terms of sound and music.

Immured within these limits, the listener becomes accustomed to the various generic forms found at all times and places within the music media, and rarely ventures outside the ordinary frames of reference.

Both composer and discriminating listener understand the importance and value of aesthetic forms beyond the commonplace, and thus it is incumbent upon the composer to bring the unexpected into being in ways that not only "break the mold", but are also capable of altering perceptions in ways that are both beautiful and desirable for all those who would take time to listen.

Continuity

Perceptions and responses to sound fluctuate according to innumerable conditions.

Consciousness and attitude change with perspective.  Observe conditions, become aware of details, give thought to cultural, social, historical, and personal orientation to life and seek insight in the ideas that come to mind.  Understanding the effects and purposes of sound and music becomes of greater moment, yet much of it may lose value and the emotional intensity accorded to it.

Listener and composer know intuitively that there is much that remains unknown and unrealized.

Simultaneity II

Classicism and the Modern do not always converge, but neither are they mutually exclusive.

Narrow thinking produces limited and foolish expression, absurdly demeaning the genuinely elevated as belonging only to time past.  All perspectives take place within myriad frames of reference, and the arts of sound embrace clarity and aesthetic purpose in communicating the gestures of life, from the grand and sweeping to the minute and ephemeral.

This is human character and expression, thrusting aside the burden of temporal considerations.

Edge of Memory

Attend to the phenomena of existence.

Look for the impression that does not reveal itself directly.  Listen for those sounds that reach the uncanny depths of imagination.  Hear the incompleteness of time past becoming manifest in time future, while in the moment now.

Timeslips

When concentrating on perceptual events there are variations in temporal awareness that do not always escape notice.

Mere moments may hold the attention with a profound and lasting impact, or hours pass "in the blink of an eye", yet it is not the qualities of time that change, but the intensity of consciousness.

Such effects as these are among many the composer seeks to evoke within the listener through subtle, uplifting immersion in auditory imagery imbued with the atmospheric elements of sound art.

Territories

Culture may sometimes be viewed in artistic terms as a nexus of memory, history, events in progress, and projections.

From such a vantage point both personal and impersonal forces are at play in the organization and execution of artistic pieces, regardless of form.  I think in terms of applying various elements of visual presentations to soundworks, and I am cognizant of the development of electronic technology in the course of the past half-century through both literature and criticism of the subject as well as by direct experience. While this leads me to listen and compose outside the constraints of what might be called the fine arts as well as those that reflect the popular imagination, it nonetheless demands adherence to those peculiar ideas, theories, and methods that result in desirable artistic outcomes, and therefore working within limits of my own design.

In Studio

At a distance from popular culture and popular opinion, it is possible to engage life's experience differently.

State of being is different, unburdened by subjection to immediacy, the sense of connection to those ideas, cultural events, and social expectations outside the scope of the spiritual faculties of the artist and composer.

When reason and free will determine perspective, narrow focus on the sensational and ephemeral appears as it is, absurd.  Beyond this is the direction of clarity, where the adventure of exploration begins.

Working

Currently in Phoenix.

In Transit

Currently in Sedona.

Sound Settings

In the course of the day, through changing environments, sound effects perception.

Moods alter, pace changes, activity unfolds, and sound events are actively engaged or go beneath notice. In either case the atmospheric sound, or music, or noise, influences thought and emotional state of being.  Given the familiar pressures of contemporary life, I am particularly interested in long-form, naturally evolving sound works that contribute to a sense of reflective equanimity.

Style

Simplicity leads to clarity.

Complexity yields beauty in elaboration.

In sound art, both spareness and intricacy are complementary; when brought into equilibrium, each force elevates the other, whether in contrast or conjunction.

Emergence II

Sound creation utilizing the common musical elements is based upon principles of control.

Control, as William Burroughs rightly observed, leads to more control.

The way of reality is that of changing events wrought by innumerable causes that yield diverse and continuous effects. For the artist as composer, this implies the necessity of critical balance between gesture, or creative action, and purposeful design in bringing about aesthetic intentions.

Beauty represents not only vision, but grace as well.

Foundation

Historical forces, cultural norms, critical journalism and the like all impact the arts.

But only the artist has the powers of choice and expression, and these cannot be taken by force, only surrendered by consent.

Essence Reflected in Action

Gesture, as an expression in sound, focuses on inference, or poetic suggestion.

Rather than the act of reproducing specific sound events, the aural gesture conveys an impression of the composer's perception of a subject.  The track "Motion and Repose", for example, was conceived as a representation of a particular time and place-- on a hillside, by a river in autumn-- but in its final form the combination of tones and shading affords the listener an imaginative atmosphere that can be complementary to any serene environment, whether indoors or outside.

Black Mountain School MP3 Editions Link

Compatible with iPod, iTunes, Windows Media Player and other MP3 Players.

Also in CD format.

Exclusive Distribution by Amazon.com

© The Crucibulum Media Recording Label; Crucibulum Publishing (ASCAP) All Rights Reserved.

Equipoise and Energy

Work requires patience.

Clarity of concept does not always assure ease of execution.  Work must be focused; it cannot be forced.