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shining white air

by Brent Fariss

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anathema 17:04
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about

"anathema" is, just as the title implies, an odd piece. Much like the other works presented here, it is concerned with resonance (both physical and spiritual). Contact speakers are used causing the bass to be a large resonating chamber. I was first introduced to these speakers by, frequent collaborator and brother from another mother, Bill Thompson. Bill brought some over from the UK and showed them off after a gig. I instantly had an idea to turn this into a solo bass piece. For the sound source to be played on the contact speakers, I chose the harmonium. I loved how it maintained an acoustic feel to the piece, and that it was powered by air. The creaks and groans on the harmonium were very similar to sounds I can produce with the bow and wood on the instrument. It also allowed for the use of harmony to occur, giving a satisfying musical element. I first performed this outside on a winter evening at Wardenclyffe (RIP), a wonderful hippie performance venue in East Austin. I was surprised how hypnotic the piece was in the dark, with the blinking lights of the speakers making it seem like some sort of alien technology. As I moved the speakers around the bass, much like you would do with chess pieces, it created different sounds, textures, and overtones. It was endlessly fascinating to me, and I performed the piece a dozen or so times...always having different results (depending on the environment). The bass was always laid on the floor, and I would kneel next to it. It felt like a ceremonial offering, and using the bass in a way that it was never really intended.


"shining white air" is loosely based off the combination of partials relating to the overtone series. Harmonic resonators, granular manipulation, and captured live samples are used via Kyma (a real-time processing environment) to react to and alter the sounds of the acoustic instruments, creating combination tones or timbral variations. There is a specific chord that occurs 3 times throughout the piece, and that is the basis for the entire piece. Harmony is derived from that chord, and the electronics sample this chord and add extra dimension to it. i perceive this chord as an Angel that guides the players towards piece and resolve. The title is based on a line from a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke and is scrawled on an enormous Cy Twombly painting that is displayed in Houston, Texas. I have returned to this painting many times for inspiration. Rilke had an obsession with angels, and it is evocative of a heavenly sense of being. The idea of searching and the struggle involved with that is of key importance to me. Extra special thanks to all the players, especially Derrick Fore, who was a remarkable soloist on bass clarinet, and to William Meadows all his hard work, creative input, and allowing me the opportunity to collaborate with him. The score for "shining white air" is included with this purchase. See bonus items.


"7 prayers for contrabass" is an exploration of the microsounds of the instrument. The piece is performed live with no processing, electronics, or overdubbing. I have kept these lo-fi recordings private for quite some time. It was at a period of intense reflection and when I was searching for some sort of higher truth. These prayers were recorded in the middle of the night in a silent house (except at one wonderful moment when an airplane flies over). It seeks to allow for an extremely intimate view of the instrument, almost as if examining the sounds under a microscope. Though they are extremely abstract, they all feel deeply personal. The creation of this piece happened during a serious bout with tendonitus. I have always had a love/hate relationship with playing the instrument, often wishing that I would not be able to play and could give up music or just focus on composition. When faced with the reality of this through injury, I realized how valuable the instrument was to me as an extension of myself. The 7 prayers focus on texture and abstraction, and are at times uncomfortable in their immediacy. Yet the prayers seek to be meditative experience, prayers to help me (and hopefully you) with the fragile state we all have lived in. This is especially true this past year. These solo bass pieces share a kinship with the other works on here, with the goal of moving towards Grace. It is the sound of someone desperately searching for some higher power (alone...in the darkest part of night)...and finally hearing a whisper of faith, hope and love.

credits

released November 3, 2020

ANATHEMA
Recorded at Altered Ear by Cory Allen.
Mixed by Sarah Hennies.
Brent Fariss - contrabass, contact speakers, harmonium


SHINING WHITE AIR
Recorded by William Meadows at Texas State University - Music Recital Hall.
Bill Meadows - KYMA, processing, production
Callie Shelton - flute
Jacob Green - oboe
Holland Hopson - soprano saxophone
Derrick Fore - bass clarinet
Keith Manlove - bassoon
Nick Smith - trombone
Sarah Norris - vibraphone

*** - The score for "shining white air" is included with this purchase. See bonus items.


7 PRAYERS FOR CONTRABASS
Recorded by Brent Fariss at spectral house.
Brent Fariss - contrabass


This recording is meant to be listened to at a low volume level.


Thanks to Ruby Constanza Lopez Valencia, Bill Thompson, Clark D. Crawford, Andrew Stoltz, Travis Weller, Alex Keller, Cory Allen, Sarah Hennies, Richard King Reed, Olivia Fariss, Vincent Fariss, William Meadows, Derrick Fore, Callie Shelton, Jacob Green, Holland Hopson, Keith Manlove, Nick Smith, Sarah Norris, Thomas Helton, R. Lee Dockery, Josh Ronsen, Austin Davis, Christopher Petkus, Church of the Friendly Ghost, Henna Chou, Melissa Seely, Steve Parker, Johnny Cash, Wardenclyffe, CAM Houston, Salvage Vanguard Theater, Ceremony Hall, ThomFariCraw's Loft Series, Blanton Museum of Art, Russell Riepe, Howard Hudiburg, Don Fariss, Christie Manners, Dora Hernandez, Ross Parsley, Jim Rigby, Benjamin Patterson, Rainer Maria Rilke, Fernando Grillo, Emmanuel Swedenborg, Leif Elggren, Cy Twombly, and Pauline Oliveros.

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Brent Fariss Austin, Texas

Brent Fariss is a composer / performer living in Austin, Texas. He has collaborated in several modern music settings including the Gates Ensemble, Waco Girls, and the Austin New Music Coop. He has become increasingly interested in the idea of conceptualism; using minimalist techniques to unite texture, form, resonance, and abstracted programmatic ideas to create a musical environment. ... more

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