We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

anathema

from shining white air by Brent Fariss

/

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.

credits

from shining white air, released November 3, 2020
for contrabass and contact speakers

Brent Fariss - contrabass, contact speakers, harmoniums

Recorded by Cory Allen at Altered Ear.
Mixed by Sarah Hennies.

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Brent Fariss image

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

contact / help

Contact Brent Fariss

Streaming and
Download help

Report this track or account

If you like Brent Fariss, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Featuring Riley Pinkerton (aka The Rat Queen) from the theatrical NYC rockers, Castle Rat.
listen now