Jeffrey Ericson Allen’s Chronotope Project embodies narrative convergence, which is as it should be. The cellist, composer and philosopher has spent much of his life as a storyteller, but in recent years, he’s reshaped his own narrative to focus more on the music that has always been a primary focus. Since his librarian days concluded, the mode of inquiry has shifted, so that now, he tells stories in music more than in words. His chief vehicle, the afore-mentioned Chronotope Project, is a solo effort that labeling “ambient” resides somewhere between a deserved badge of honor and a near disservice. Rather, this music shares certain characteristics with one of Allen’s influences, Brian Eno, in that it can function in the background but rewards deeper listening with substructures of intrigue and beauty. His newest album for Spotted Peccary, Kaleidoscope, exemplifies Allen’s storytelling as it becomes overtly autobiographical.
Following a similar path to 2023’s Chronology, the new compendium presents all facets of Allen’s artistic development in dialogue with itself and its influences. We hear revamps of material from previous projects, Chronotope and beyond, along with what seems to be previously unreleased excursions. The remixes tend toward a winning combination of unity and clarity, adding both nuance and power to the originals. “Medicine Wheel,” a track from 2013, hits harder from the outset in this remix but with more textural disparity, especially in the ascending and descending arpeggiations propelling it forward. They emerge that much more brightly amidst the silky serenade of layered light and susurration against which the arpeggiated rhythms counterpoint. To experience all of this completely, it should be heard following “Ariadne’s Thread,” the album opener and a more but by no means exclusively acoustic track from Allen’s time in the group Confluence. What becomes remarkably clear in the juxtaposition is the composer’s love of rhythmic texture as it morphs into, or is subsumed by, motivic invention. Hearing the pieces programmed this way erodes internal and external borders as Allen’s long-fostered vision is elucidated.
It would be folly, and wrong-headed, to attempt a description of each narrative in relationship to the others. Experiencing Kaleidoscope is a personal journey, one of intersecting moments and ever-increasing cinematic scope. Sonic tropes pervade each immersion, some readily identifiable, like the drums and Tambura-drone on “Dance of the Raven Man,” and others tantalizingly elusive, as when a hint of wind or water wafts across the soundstage in “Geosynchronous.” It has been reduced in this remix while the vocal elements are elevated, the whole now a study in rhythmic subtlety and Protean timbral shading.
It is difficult to imagine a more achingly beautiful disc conclusion than the radically reworked “Clear Bell Ringing in Empty Sky.” Motion and stasis exist in prayer-like symbiosis, the melodies unfolding in orchestral harmonies implied as often as clearly stated. Nature-adjacent sounds provide a pulse simultaneously enhanced and checked by the convergence of scale, ghostly slide and, of course, tintinnabulation, until all recedes for the chorale finale. Its unfolding bespeaks the nested narratives, from moment to moment and in macrocosm, shaping the music and its constituent soundworlds. Each gesture tells a story of wisdom, obviously born of long meditation, commensurate with the album’s accompanying poem, a perfect encapsulation of the album and of Allen’s compositions; sounds mirror a process obviously fundamental to his experience: “Lives appear and disappear/Their themes weave counterpoint/Into the fabric of the world.”
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Spotted Peccary Music is doing a 40th Year Retrospective in 2026, rolling out new music, signing new acts, and highlighting artists' "best of." Look for their $21 Discovery Packs on #Bandcamp! https://ambientelectronic.bandcamp.com/merch/spotted-peccary-music-discovery-pack-4-cd-bundle
Ganz gleich, wie es euch gerade geht - dieses fabelhafte Album wird euch bereits nach kurzer Zeit um einiges besser fühlen lassen und wieder zurück auf den Boden holen.
Unglaublich entspannend, bodenständig und geerdet gehen die ambientartigen Klänge, die uns der US-amerikanische Künstler Deuter mit ‘Mångata’ präsentiert, unter die Haut. Auf Basis von elektronischen Riffs, dezenten neoklassischen Einflüssen und experimentellen Elementen kreiert dieser faszinierende Arrangements, die etwas ganz besonders Meditatives und vielleicht sogar Hypnotisches an sich haben.
Die Art und Weise, auf welche die Klänge miteinander verschmelzen, ist genial und lässt uns für eine Weile gefühlt der Realität und all den Trubel um uns herum entfliehen. Alles wirkt so wahrhaft friedlich, unbeschwert und sanft. Die Preview zu 'Mångata’ findet ihr unten verlinkt. Für mehr könnt ihr Deuter gerne auch bei Spotify folgen:
Tom Ciurczak's "I Ain't Ever Growing Up: Volume 1" is an adventure of a record with so much versatility attached. As we eagerly await Volume 2, it's clear that Tom Ciurczak is an artist to watch, and his musical journey is one that we can't help but follow with excitement and anticipation.
Go ahead and click those links to listen, follow along, and of course to stay tuned for much more in the works. Enjoy!
New Interview! Esteemed polygenre Artist & Producer S. J. JANANIY of Chennai, India, shares her voice & passion for music in one of her first U.S. interviews, with Beth Ann Hilton.
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“Tell me darling, would you still love me If I told you about the monsters I need to sing to sleep every night? If you understood the way I need to tiptoe across my own mind so I can fall asleep before daylight? if you knew where the nightmares came from, if you saw my scarred soul, would being with me terrify you? If you knew the full extent of the damage they have done to me, would you stay, would you still want to?”
Today is a big one, folks. It is, of course, April 26, which means it is International Lesbian Visibility Day, the centerpiece of Lesbian Visibility Week 2023. It is many things at once: on one hand, it is a day for recognizing and celebrating the contributions of lesbian and queer women around the world. It is also a day to raise awareness of the issues faced by lesbians, and all queer women who identify as lesbians, and to encourage them to live authentically. It was founded for these same purposes on April 26, 2008, and then as now, International Lesbian Visibility Day commemorates the achievements, contributions, and unique experiences of lesbian women. It is also for reflection on the challenges faced by these women, and to promote a greater understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community. In celebrating International #lesbian Visibility Day, the aim each year is to help foster a culture of acceptance, inclusion, and work towards a more equal, just society.
So, however you're spending this International #lesbian Visibility Day, 2023, we hope you spend it well.
I’m living this, and it is true. So many of my friends in their 40s and up just won their first, second and third GRAMMY Awards. Their hope, vision and work began when they were young, but it can take years to find your voice in music and to build enough of a following to be nominated. Dream, then DO!
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A powerful first track from the forthcoming album by Indian Trap featuring S. J. Jananiy's incredible vocals. Sing along with "Shiva Mantra" for strength and positivity.
I loved talking to 5 time Grammy® nominated David Arkenstone about his music and upcoming tour.
Hear all about @DavidArkenstone’s epic upcoming holiday show - A Winter’s Eve Concert with David Arkenstone and Friends. Get the show dates at https://www.davidarkenstone.com
Elizabeth Naccarato releases her 7th album tomorrow, A Southwest Story. The #USC alumna and composer/pianist captures the beauty of her new homeland in #Colorado. Pre-save now, or listen on 7/29!
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