Ave – Steve Layton (2012)
Ave – Steve Layton (2012)
(feat. Shane Cadman)
“‘Ave’ is a processed piece that succeeds in modifying Shane Cadman’s vocals into a chancel choir singing in a midieval cathedral. The soaring voices arc out over the vast interior of a church and take us back 1000 years. From the January 20, 2012 ImprovFriday event.
Steve Layton is a Dallas-based composer specializing in mixing and mashing of disparate pieces. Steve also runs the net label Niwo Records.”
Jukka-Pekka Kervinen, Small Gestures #1 (2011)
Jukka-Pekka Kervinen, Small Gestures #1 (2011)
A Finnish composer, writer and visual artist who resides in Kitee, Finland. Jukka-Pekka specializes in software and algorythm-driven musical compositions including the programming of 8-bit video game chips. His compositions are distinctively electronic in nature and that is why this piece – ‘Small Gestures #1′ – is something of a surprise to those who are familiar with his music.
‘Small Gestures #1′ is a minimalist piece in the classic sense and here Jukka-Pekka has managed to capture the energy and optimism that characterized the early works of Reich and Glass.
Jukka-Pekka Kervinen contributed a piece to the most recent Roanoke Marginal Arts Festival and the Jyvaskylan taidemuseo (music for videos), Finland, also in 2011. When he is not writing music, Jukka-Pekka is involved in photography, poetry and publishing. Further information here.
Eris – Jon Brenner (2011)
From the composer:
“‘Eris’ was originally written as a wind ensemble piece in late 2006. the piece is named after the dwarf planet that was responsible for the ousting of pluto. This version of ‘Eris’ was recorded in May, 2011, with synthesizers, electric guitars, electric piccolo bass, and electric bass with one on a part.”
Jon Brenner is a Seattle-based composer and musician who writes contemporary art music and performs chamber music, new and old. His works include music for soloists, chamber ensembles, film, art installations, and larger ensembles. Jon plays viola da gamba and harpsichord and has appeared with the New Baroque Orchestra in Seattle.
Artwork for ‘Eris’ by Jon Brenner
Further information at www.jonbrenner.com.
Wash 2 – James Ross (2010)
James Ross is a Brooklyn, NY-based composer and performer who writes music for orchestral and chamber ensembles, as well as solo music for the guitar and the zhongruan (a type of Chinese lute). He has also performed and recorded electronic and improvised music. I find his most compelling work to be reflective looped ambient pieces, of which ‘Wash 2′ is an excellent example.
Ross’ music unfolds slowly into an introspective space that carries the listener along on a gentle current of soft sounds and textures. Even at its full 25 minutes ‘Wash 2′ seems short – the music is fully engaging the entire time.
C Garden – Steve Layton (2011)
C Garden – Steve Layton (2011)
(feat. Paul Hertz, Diego Monroy, Jim Goodin, Paul Muller)
A mashup by Steve Layton from mid-2011. Paul Hetrz’s organ playing anchors this like a foghorn in dangerous waters. The other parts flow perfectly around this to form a beautiful texture, bubbling in a sort of reflective optimism – like a sunset the after the perfect day.
Steve Layton is a Dallas-based composer specializing in mixing and mashing of disparate pieces. C Garden was originally created for an ImprovFriday event on August 12, 2011.
I Will Begin a Journey – Jim Goodin (2011)
I Will Begin a Journey – Jim Goodin (2011)
download mp3
Jim Goodin is a Brooklyn-based musician who frequently contributes to ImprovFriday. “I Will Begin a Journey” is a simple folk tune that begins with a series of pizzicato arpeggios that are looped, creating an infectious texture that is complimented by the tune that emerges towards the middle. This is excellent traveling music!
Jim Goodin: Window (2010)
Window is a looped piece that slowly builds, layer upon layer, with the various pitches and timbres of the violin added as it progresses. The piece has a somewhat Asian feel at times, but the effect of the increasing strings is to fill up the space almost like an orchestra.
Here is what Jim Goodin writes about this piece:
“Window was created with my rather primitive violin technique and a Digitech Hardwire Delay/Looper pedal. I’m using some arcing technique as well as repeated figures indicative of my interest and influence in minimalism in music. … My violin is a custom made electric solid body 4 string. Window is completely improvisation, no music was pre-thought or noted.”
Further information can be found here.
First posted on the ImprovFriday October 15, 2010 event.
JC Combs: The Drone In My Life (2010)
JC Combs: The Drone In My Life: (2010)
Dark, mysterious combination of piano and menacing ambient atmospherics fashioned from processed piano sounds. Creates a feeling of anxiety as if in an alien cityscape at night. Tension builds nicely by the restrained suspension of long tones.
Here is what JC Combs writes about this piece:
“The Drone in My Life” is from a small scale set called “Affliction Suite ” … The piece consists entirely of piano improvisation, including the inside of the piano. As with the other works I employ post-improvisation (what I and others nowadays refer to as re-composition) techniques via audio tool platforms. As for its form, its split into two sections. The first showcasing free piano improvisation with the drone backing up the piano, and the second half where the drone permeates the piece – as the title suggests. Of course, I strive for some humor in my works, in this case the title word play on Feldman’s “Viola in My Life.”
Alex Carpenter: Fainting Spell Mix (2010)
Alex Carpenter: Fainting Spell Mix (2010)
Fainting Spell Mix is an ambient work similar to that being created by James Ross and Richard Lainhart. Alex uses a self-designed multi-amp and delay network he calls the Live Audio Delay System and achieves a convincing sense of stasis and movement simultaneously. In this piece Alex plays guitar and produces a fine, music box-like texture that seems to hang in the air. The result is a restful and engaging piece that holds your interest even as it slowly unfolds. ’Fainting Spell Mix’ was originally posted at ImprovFriday for the September 25, 2010 event.
More info at http://transparentmeans.net/
Jon Brenner: Sonata (2006)
“sonata was written for violinist emily packard at mills college. like most of my pieces, the instrumentation is flexible and the violin may be substituted by vibraphone, clarinet, or flute. the marimba tape may be substituted by piano, two marimbas.”
duration: 9:45
curated by Paul Muller
Mark Harris: Still Frame (2009)
Mark Harris: Still Frame (2009)
“an experiment in granular synthesis. created from two notes (a piano and violin tone)“
website
curated by: Paul Muller
Ben Smith: Improv Friday Jan 29, 2010
Ben Smith: Improv Friday Jan 29, 2010
“Here is an improv from Ben Smith. Ben is an exciting keyboard player with a long and deep interest in improvisation whose influences include Monk and Coltrane. This work was recently posted on the ImprovFriday January 29 event.”
Thomas Bjornseth: Improv Friday 011510
Thomas Bjornseth: Improv Friday 011510
via the composer:
“I always start off with an improvisation, and work out the final piece in midi. Some times there’s a lot of fiddling about, other times I only clean it up a little, which is the case for the Jan. 15th piece. So no big secrets there, but what I try to achieve is a style of improvisation that sounds like it could have been written in the more traditional sense.”
Thomas Bjornseth/atonality.net
curated by Paul Muller
James Ross: Winds and Strings (2007)
James Ross: Winds and Strings (2009)
“Winds and Strings” is concerned with the possibilities of composition with a very limited number of pitch classes; each instrumental part has its own pitch material (though there are some common tones), and the entire gamut of pitches was derived by combining the pool of tones. The piece is completely multicyclic–every instrumental part travels in a 3-, 5- or 7-bar orbit of 3/4 time.”
Paul Hertz: Polymetric Phrygian Plainchant (2009)
Paul Hertz: Polymetric Phrygian Plainchant (2009)
Paul’s notes:
“Polymetric Phrygian Plainchant is based on a Phrygian mode version of the Dies Irae. It was composed and recorded entirely in Sibelius 5, using synthesized woodwind instruments. The altered Dies Irae melody is successively heard at five different tempos, in the ratio 2:3:5:7:11. This piece dates from July 2009 and was first posted on ImprovFriday.“
Charles Turner: Secret Flower (2009)
Charles Turner: Secret Flower (2009)
Featuring flutes and marimbas. Charles Turner lives north of Boston and also composes church music, opera and musical theatre. This piece was written in April 2009.
Richard Lainhart: Autumn Afternoon With Rain (2009)
Richard Lainhart: Autumn Afternoon With Rain (2009)
“a realtime improvisation for electric guitar with laptop processing”
originally posted on ImprovFriday, October 9th-10th 2009
Peter Thoegersen: Solo Clarinet in Bb (2005)
“The Bb clarinet piece was written in 2002 while I was working on my MM in composition. It was written in one swoop and I wanted it to represent some extended techniques. That version was recorded at U of I in Urbana in 2005, but I can’t remember the performer’s name.”
