THE ARCHAIC FUTURE

‘Station Wagon Interior Perspective‘ (2009-2010) - A suite of short pieces for one-man-band, brass, and percussion, this music explores links between guitar/piano Ragtime styles and American ‘brass band’ music. Will be premiered at The Stone, New York, NY,  January 9, 2010. Funded by a  quality-Related Research grant, Canterbury Christ Church University. 

Kinetic Musical Scroll 2010- This project (a collaboration with Anna Fewster of Charleston Artist House) uses artist Duncan Grant’s 1917 Kinetic Scroll (a pre-film installation of moving abstract image and sound) as a point of inspiration for a modern re-interpretation . Incorporating the work of two visual artists, the sculpture will investigate possible process-based and conceptual ties between the sounds and images, and explore the mechanics of the scroll itself as a potential real-time sonic resource. 

‘Lines and Dots’ (2009-2010) A research project aimed at developing methods of teaching improvisation. Students draw pictoral ‘cues’ for free improvisation and arrange sequences of cues as graphical scores for solo/group performance. The project will culminate in a hand-printed book with cues, example scores, and an accompanying CD of improvisations. 

Machine’s Song (2008) A repertoire of music for one man band, realized in solo performance and recording, this music focuses on the notion of Uncanny in musical automata, one-man-band performance, and multi-track tape composition. 

Master Box (2008) A studio composition that uses archaic recording technology and computer-based sound processing to create works influenced by turn-of-the century American piano music, this project is an attempt to understand the piano outside its sacred role of Musical Instrument, and portray it as a mechanical ’sound-generator.’ Released as the CD ‘Master Box,’ with accompanying essay, ‘The Mystery and Player Pianos,’  by Archaic Future Recordings.  

Palace Pier (2007) A site-specific sound installation incorporating original composed music and field recordings from the Palace Pier of Brighton, England. Influenced by the writing of R. Murray Schafer and Ferruccio Busoni, the piece is an attempt to explore Glenn Gould’s notion of the recording as ‘forgery’ in the context of environmental Sonic Arts. 

FLAT (2007): A short, site-specific film and soundtrack that integrates abstract footage, found sounds, and composed music into an impressionistic ‘document’ of a living space. Drawing from theory of Jean Epstein, the soundtrack seeks to find a sonic equivalent of photogenie that reflects the intentions of the piece’s filming techniques. 

Tramwaj (2008) A film score (piano, clarinet,violin, ‘cello, and tape) for the 1968 Krzysztof Kieslowski silent film.

3 Early Maine Films (2006) Music composed for live accompaniment of silent turn-of-the century archive footage of Maine fishing and logging. Music combines influences of Ragtime, military (marching) band music, and abstract tape collage. Commissioned for 4-screen projection/performance at Monkeytown (Brooklyn, NY). Released in 2008 as 3 Early Maine Films on the l’animaux (field) recordings label.