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Press Release: Brent Fariss / Bill Thompson
august / september (sh 008)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
contact:
Brent Fariss / spectral house
info@spectralhouse.com
www.spectralhouse.com
BRENT FARISS AND BILL THOMPSON RELEASE FIRST COLLABORATION “AUGUST / SEPTEMBER”
WHAT: BRENT FARISS / BILL THOMPSON RECORD RELEASE PARTY
WHERE:
END OF AN EAR INSTORE (2209 South First; Austin, TX )
WHEN:
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 - 6pm
FREE!!!
SEPTEMBER 17, 2006 (AUSTIN, TEXAS)
Spectral House has released august / september (sh 008) by Brent Fariss and Bill Thompson, a collaboration that has been in the work for years and celebrates Thompson’s return visit to the US after studying in Scotland. The disc contains two tracks which feature a combination of white noise combined with field recordings, prepared contrabass, electronics, and modified percussions. The pieces contain the imagination of electronic creations while retaining the grittiness that live performances offer with audio production by Alex Keller.
About Bill Thompson and Brent Fariss:
Thompson and Fariss first met in the mid-1990s at Texas State University, both studying composition, where the found the shared a love for the blurred lines between modern composition, electronics, noise, and free improvisation. Thompson and Fariss performed on each other's pieces, had written works for each other, and played
within the same groups (including the renowned Gates Ensemble). It wasn't until the first Austin Musuem of Digital Art's Performance Series, that they were asked to compose a piece together (august). The experience was such a positive, the duo decided to write a
complimentary work to premiere at Loft Series # 9, a concert series Thompson, Fariss, and Clark Crawford had been hosting for years that premiered modern works in an unusual setting in which the performances happened in a loft above the audience. The two pieces worked well together, so Fariss and Thompson began work on studio recordings to lay down the tracks on tape. With the audio production skills of Alex Keller, the two were allowed to set up at the Loft to focus in on capturing all the sounds that they heard in their head, making for a clean, yet gritty listening experience.
Technical notes on the pieces:
August employs a modified rondo form with an inverted climax pattern, focusing on spectral interplays between the electronics and bass, complex timbres creating combination tones, and the contrasting of dry and treated field recordings relating to white noise. September makes use of similar elements (field recordings, white noise, combination tones, timbral interplay) but with a completely different form…in many ways it acts as a polarization of august's elements and design.
Performance celebrating august / september release:
About spectral house:
Spectral House is an independent label based in Austin, Texas focusing on modern experimental music. Brent Fariss and Bill Thompson formed Spectral House in 2001 to debut their own works, as well as the music of many other exciting composers who had not yet been released on CD. The debut release on Spectral House was Bill Thompson's Homage to the New York School (sh 001) released in 2001. Spectral House plans to continue their focus on independent-minded musicians pushing the boundaries of modern music. Upcoming projects for 2006-2007 include releases by Lionel Marchetti / Olivier Capparos, Radu Malfatti, and Rick Reed.
For more information, please contact:
Brent Fariss / spectral house
2007 Ploverville Lane
Austin, TX 78728
Phone: (512) 577-9934
E-mail: brent@spectralhouse.com
Web: www.spectralhouse.com
