It's very exciting to see that our friends from Anaphoria have released a new record this week...
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Performed by Clocks and Clouds
Kraig Grady Meta-Slendro vibraphone
Terumi Narushima Meta-Slendro organ
Release Notes:
Kraig Grady Meta-Slendro vibraphone
Terumi Narushima Meta-Slendro organ
Release Notes:
"IN A PENTAGONAL ROOM is the first CD of microtonal performance duo CLOCKS AND CLOUDS. The title refers to the unique five-sided reverberation chamber in which the recordings are made. The shape and surface of the room produce sounds and decays that last as long as 12 seconds enhancing the unique sounds of the duo's specially tuned instruments. The interaction of harmonics produced by the Meta-Slendro vibraphone and organ is captured via a special five microphone setup, resulting in what will probably be considered the definitive recording of these instruments. The album is totally acoustic and free of overdubs or enhancement. Even equalization is by-passed in order to retain the high quality of the original sounds."
As even a cursory examination around the web will reveal, the interest in, and exploration of the use of musical instrument alternative intonation systems - aka - xenharmonics and microtonality - is of late, growing at a historically unprecedented an seemingly almost exponential rate.
As we know, or may otherwise well intuit, what it takes to bring this creative music full circle, from the background theoretical research to the level of a complete musical release that can be shared with the listening world, is a totally non-trivial pursuit, often requiring the synthesis of a unique set of skills that may encompass instrument building, intonation pitch scale design, mastery of specialized compositional and performance techniques, recording and audio engineering knowledge, and perhaps most importantly, a refined type of aesthetic deep-vision and intimate experience with these sounds - often acquired from many hard-earned years of active practice - for how to put it all together into a format and presentation that will potentially endure repeated listenings down through the years.
And these things - as well as many others - far too multifaceted to summarize in few words - are what makes these kinds of record releases such a special - and specialized - kind of artistic event in a musical world dominated by the hegemony of the Western 12-tone-equal-temperament, which in itself, is indeed an intonation system of self evident great beauty and musical utility, yet in reality is but one small member of a vast continuum of intonational possibility.
In my own personal view of such matters, Kraig Grady's work consistently stands among the most sonically and compositionally alluring - and exquisitely beautiful - manifestations of this synthesis and vision, and his records are among the most treasured of all in my collection.
An excerpt from the record is available to stream on the Anaphoria Music ordering page:
Just ordered the CD today, so expect more comments once I've received the record and have had time to listen deeply.