Slow We Go

Prana was recorded and improvised live in an underground former silo in the deep southern Utah desert over the winter solstice. The temperature outside was at about 10 degrees below zero, inside a giant wood stove burned away, and all around were about twenty or so sonic journeyers forming a meditative circle on the slate floor. 

The album contains vocals - but no English - rather the vocalizations you hear are more channeled sounds intended keep our language centers quiet and our hearts open. 

5 extended tracks - running time 48 minutes. 
This is a gapless playback continuous listening experience.

Music by Trevor Oswalt
Mastered by Chris Vita at Vita Mastering
Artwork by Ross Bleckner

http://www.eastforest.org


Apana

Channel 276

A final fire hums in the darkness: soft, eternal, attentive. Each tone carries the dust of ancient voices, of forgotten beasts, of symbols carved in sky and stone. Here, stories aren't told, but felt, flickering between layers of silence. In this space, memory doesn't fade, it burns.

Ghost of the Ceremony

Pre-order 'Trance Frendz' on LP/DL: www.erasedtapes.com/store/index/ERATP081
or digitally iTunes: snip.ftpromo.net/trancefrendz

Having been available exclusively as the second disc to 2015's 'Collaborative Works', Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm's improvised audio recordings 'Trance Frendz', taken from their 45-minute studio film of the same name, have been given their own vinyl release – out March 4th, 2016.

Prior to a string of collaborative Erased Tapes releases, which include 2012's 'Stare' 10” and last year’s 'Life Story Love and Glory' 7” and 'Loon' 12” – compiled on the 'Collaborative Works' 2-CD set, Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm spent many hours together in their studios across Berlin and Reykjavik. Both have carved out genre-defying musical careers and formed unique live shows, creating a fan base loyal to their prolific output.

During a session at Durton Studio in Berlin last summer, Nils and Ólafur invited Alexander Schneider and his camera to document it. The recording continued long after the first take, stretching out into the next day until, eventually, several new improvisations had been recorded in 8 hours with no overdubs or edits. The unexpected nature in which these pieces had been created was reminiscent of their first on-stage improvisation many years ago. It became immediately clear how special these songs were.

"At the end of the night we had all this music that sounded unfamiliar even to us, loudly asking to be included in this collection.”

Originally made available as a 45-minute film on their joint website (www.arnaldsfrahm.com) last September, 'Trance Frendz' will be available to own on vinyl from March 4th, 2016.

Press for their 'Collaborative Works':

'A particularly joyous wash of slinky percussion and juddering layers' (8/10) – Clash

'An enchanting listen. The bar for a Lads' Night In has just been raised a few notches' (7/10) – Drowned In Sound

‘This is music for slowing down the pace of modern life... An immersive listening experience is guaranteed, while we must hope Frahm and Arnalds go on ‘holiday’ together more in future, and don’t forget to take their musical instruments.’ ★★★★ – MusicOMH

'A collection of gorgeously intimate piano compositions and eye-opening synth pieces, each never aggressive but always powerfully poignant' (8/10) – Under The Radar

'What Collaborative Works offers is something strange: a shared world created by two mad geniuses. Long may Arnalds and Frahm tinker' (8/10) – PopMatters

'Collaborative Works further proves just how natural a fit Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm are together' – Resident Advisor

Trance Frendz

20:17

Buy LP/2CD/DL

Ólafur Arnalds & Nils Frahm – 20:17

Dedicated to Binah Sophia Rose Zing (1985 - 2014)

Vocal sample is from 'Movement 1' on Soundlight Vol. 2:
https://elijahandthebandoflight.bandcamp.com/album/soundlight-volume-2

Quintessence feat. Elijah Ray

The first single, "Farm Song" from Music To Be Born To.  Full release 2-26-16. 

VIDEO : https://youtu.be/rkeXynKiD2w

The music of Music To Die To and Music To Be Born To both arose from live improvised “sound healing” ceremonies - over five years in development - held between 2011 and 2015 at a ranch in the high desert of Southern Utah and also on an organic farm in upstate New York. In both cases, I improvised live music over the course of several hours, layering vocals, keyboards and original field recordings with the use of looping pedals, later curating a selection of tracks. 

When listening to these albums you are listening to music in its virginal state. All ten tracks on the albums were "discovered" live - sometimes edited for length but with no overdubs or computer wizardry. The result is a rare intimacy that captures a moment in time free of any after thoughts or additions. Each track is a meditation on allowing while aiming for the freedom of the flow state. 

The inspiration for Music To Die To began during my time volunteering in hospice care between 2010 - 2012 as I witnessed a lack of musical tools to assist those both actively dying as well as their families and loved ones. Music Thanatology is a noteworthy existing field in palliative care but is limited to voice and harp. I wanted to offer something different, something broader, something using sound healing science both ancient and new, as well as music that speaks straight to the process of release, acceptance, and surrender. 

Death also made me think about birth. And after receiving numerous requests over the years for “birthing mixes”, I seized this opportunity to create the companion record, Music To Be Born To. Beyond active birthing, I wanted to compile a series of tracks designed for both the mother and the developing fetus (with the aid of “belly headphones”) to be listened to throughout the course of pregnancy. The aim being for the music to have a deep familiarity on a conscious and subconscious level so that when moment of childbirth arrives the music can help ease the stress of both mother AND baby during the process of labor. 

Put together, I hope these two albums serve not only their specific designs but also reach beyond to the metaphorical, to speak to that part in all of us that might be dying in order for something new to be born. I view death and birth as the two primary polarities of reality. If we stood out in outer space and could somehow see all of the life on Earth -- the people, plants, animals, insects, bacteria -- we would see a non stop constant swirling motion of birthing and dying -- this motion being the engine of life. Sometimes death can be a struggle, and so can birth. Let us be a witness to that which is asking to be born and also to honor that which is dying, giving space for the continuity of life.

releases February 26, 2016 

Music by Trevor Oswalt 
Mastered by Taylor Deupree 
Art by Michael Robinson

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Farm Song

Be sure to listen to the twin record, "MUSIC TO DIE TO" for the complete listening experience : http://soundcloud.com/eastforest

Trevor Oswalt's near-death experiences catalyzed a search for answers. After two violent bicycle accidents – the second of which causing almost identical injuries to the first incident – he began searching for understanding; his path eventually lead him to volunteer in a hospice, until Oswalt, aka East Forest, felt comfortable facing his fears. 

"Everyone copes with loss and trauma in different ways," he says.  "I was searching for a way that could help me and others at the same time." 

That search birthed the idea for his next album, Music To Die To, out February 26, 2016 on Aquilo Records.  "People think that nearly everything in life stems from the fact that we know we're going to die, and that real creative freedom comes from accepting our mortality," Oswalt says. "Part of this album is literally music for people to die to, but it's also the soundtrack of my own journey toward acceptance."

Inspired by one of his idols, Keith Jarrett, and his The Köln Concert, Oswalt knew he'd improvise most of the recordings by live looping a combination of vintage pianos, his voice, and original field recordings, all with the theme of life's finite nature in mind.  Recording on an organic farm in upstate New York and a remote ranch in the southern Utah high desert, he bunkered in until he had more than enough for one album. 
"Once you get out into nature and get the ball rolling, the improvisation starts to flow through you," he says. "I love the idea of giving birth to music on the spot, to record something in the moment that won't be made again."

Armed with a surplus of material, East Forest realized the perfect bookend: Music To Be Born To, the sister album to Music To Die To. To me, birth comes from the space created by the destruction of something, not the other way around. Out of death comes birth.” 

Together, the twin releases form a perfect pair, complementing the other in not only theme, but in musical substance. The former is an optimistic glow bathed in waves of his "blissful" (NPR), ethereal sound; the latter is more direct, more organic, and more focused - embodying an increasingly-mature sound and aesthetic.  but provides a fresher start with a newer beginning.

In 2016, he's back in Portland, but is now armed with a live show that is continually evolving; sometimes performing solo, sometimes with a string section, and often with cinematic projections. With experience as a performing pianist for a dance troupe, in a hospice volunteering as well as in the Amazonian jungle searching for answers, his music is a connected journey that's been dubbed "a revelatory excursion in sound" (Under The Gun Review) that invites listeners to "go on a journey of self discovery" (Earmilk).  He's been featured on NPR's Second Stage and Tiny Desk Contest, and shared the stage with Moby. 

"We forget that we are nature. We feel so much separation in our modern life, inundated with so much information; I believe our solutions will come from the inside out. They're already here, we're just uncovering them." 

"It’s all a process of discovery.  We need to give space for that which wants to emerge  -- something needs to die for something else to be born.  Making these albums was my way of creating some space, and inside I hope to hear an answer.

WEB - http://www.eastforest.org 
FB - http://www.facebook.com/eastforestmusic
INSTAGRAM - http://instagram.com/eastforest
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Trevor Oswalt - live looped music, field recordings, vocals
Taylor Deupree - mastering
Michael Robinson - art direction

Formats CD/DIGITAL/CASSETTE

Download

For Elena

Rarefied

Dive In

Blueprints

This is a track I was part of for the benefit compilation "Protectors" of the Standing Rock Camp - the money raised goes to supporting the brave people protesting, specifically the Medic & Healer Council supporting the health of the local community as well as the needs of the water protectors maintaining the camps. Please spread the word: the full album has a great variety of music across many genres.  Produced by William Softmore and Charlie Roscoe.

https://standingrockbenefitalbum.bandcamp.com/album/protectors-standing-rock-benefit-album

Protectors - Standing Rock Benefit Album

Native Power

Maybe we look crazy- but that is only if you can't hear the music.

01 Signals

Haseya

Akaal

Vyana

Prana Yoga

On Sacred Ground

https://www.EastForest.org
TOUR DATES - https://eastforest.org/tickets

Booking - susie@groundcontroltouring.com (N. Amer., Asia, AU), 
kai.lehmann@cabinartists.com (EU)

East Forest plays electro-acoustic music coined "blissful" (NPR) and "immersive" (Wired). His work has appeared on Bright Antenna, Domino, Mercury KX, 1631 Recordings, Aquilo Records, as well as Tender Loving Empire & Universal/Decca.

He has three #1 albums that charted on iTunes as well as multiple top ten Billboard releases. He tours internationally.

team@eastforest.org
#eastforest  #eastforestmusic

Farm Song

East Forest

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