While writing this particular piece for the Chelsea Symphony I didn't necessarily have a theme or specific concept in mind. It was written with more thought going towards the performers in my new ensemble Flow State, which consists of 2 Saxes, 1 Electric Guitar, 1 Electric Bass, 1 Electric Keyboard, and Percussion. The ensembles name is derived from my solo electric guitar loop-based EP, Flow State, meaning to be completely immersed or absorbed in ones thoughts and actions. The ensemble has a wide range of ability, being classically trained as well as having an in depth knowledge of improvisation. These qualities drive me compositionally and ables Flow State to have a wide range of sound and style. The Three Episodes are simply three sections in the piece that begin through-composed and develop into improvisatory soundscapes.

Three Episodes for Orchestra - Flow State and the Chelsea Symphony, composition by Ben Brody

Flow State live at the New Amsterdam space in Red Hook, Brooklyn. June 14th, 2014.

These Things - Live @ New Amsterdam Space

FLOW STATE is a contemporary music ensemble that defies category. Ben Brody formed the ensemble in 2013, as an extension of his solo project with the same name. Brody’s first EP, Flow State, stood out in the modern, psychedelic, and new-music scenes. It was featured on WNYC's program New Sounds Listeners’ Poll, and was ranked among the top 10 best releases of 2013. Shortly after the release of the EP, Brody decided to transform his vision of a solo endeavor into one which could incorporate more sounds. He teamed up with bassist Nick Lenchner, saxophonists Noah Dreiblatt and Alison Shearer; and keyboardist Jonathan Evers. The ensemble fuses classical, jazz and rock idioms to produce a sound that is as polished as it is dynamic. Flow State has given several noteworthy performances, including the premier of Brody’s "Three Episodes for Orchestra" with The Chelsea Symphony, a performance at Mister Rogers Studio, presented by The Hoover Dam Collective, which was described as “undeniably captivating”- (Event Source Connection), and most recently the premier of Brody’s modern dance piece Inner Reaches, in conjunction with MADart Creative.

Where the Sky Meets the Earth is a collection of works composed for the full Flow State ensemble. Each piece is inspired by, and named for, a spoken phrase that resonates deeply both within and without its context. Finding its home between American Minimalism and post-rock, Where the Sky Meets the Earth explores patterns of repetition and change through rhythmic and tonal mutation.
/\//\/\\/\//\/\\/\//\
Music composed by Ben Brody

Electric Guitar/harmonizer - Ben brody
Double Bass - Nick Lenchner 

Recorded and mixed by Jesse House
Mastered by Dan Knobler of Mason Jar Music
masonjarmusic.com/

I am Become Death

Drones, the Peaceful Kind (2013)
Composed by Benjamin Louis Brody
Performed by The Chelsea Symphony
Program notes:

The title “Drones the peaceful kind” started out more as a sarcastic thought or statement, in reaction to hearing the word drone used in the context of war or, most recently, reading about the controversial “drone program.” The more I thought about the title, the more I started to see the layers of meaning within it. Personally, I can’t help but think of drones as relating to peace, meditation, or bringing one to a clear state of presence--the drone has been and is still widely used in religious sanctuaries and in folk music all over the world. I asked myself the following questions: “Will the generation after mine associate the word with war, violence, and fear? Or will they associate it with a peaceful meditative quality in music?” Will the drone strike or the drone machine obscure the meaning of a musical drone? As I asked myself these questions, I felt more and more obligated to try to drag the word back to its origins: a simple vibration that causes air particles to vibrate, bringing us to a state of relaxation and mindfulness--not a machine traveling through the air, bringing us to a state of fear. Not only is this piece concerned with the current and vital question of how our use of words relate to our comfort with violence, but it has given me the chance to reflect on what the drone means to me, and how, in the coming years, we will hear it more and more in the context of war, and less and less in the context of peace.

Drones, The Peaceful Kind for Electric Guitar & String Orchestra

Composer by Ben Brody 
Performed by Flow State
benbrodymusic.com

Electric Guitar
Electric Bass 
Alto Sax
Tenor Sax
DX24 Synthesizer

These Things

Composer: Ben Brody
Vox: Elvy Yost
Performed by Flow State
benbrodymusic.com

Breathe In Breathe Out feat. Elvy Yost

Taken from the album "Far Away Music" by Benjamin Louis Brody.

Far Away Music

Far Away Music Preview – Benjamin Louis Brody

Track taken from the upcoming album 'Far Away Music' released through Preserved Sound...

Far Away Music sees Benjamin Louis Brody reimagine previous compositions to create what he calls “music inside of music”...
 
“When I started this project, I asked myself whether I could give my music depth perception, similar to a painting or drawing – the classic illusion of train track perspective that gives a painting a certain sense of distance,” says Brody. “With Far Away Music , I set out to do that with sound.”

“The music and sounds you hear could only have been created through computer technology. By manipulating the speed and texture its allowed me to change the perspective of the original content,” says Brody. “Far Away Music represents how I experience my work in a more personal way – it’s vast and subconscious.”

Having composed for NYC’s The Chelsea Symphony, independent films and various mixed ensembles, Brody has also worked with or for composers such as Elliot Goldenthal, Tom Waits and Philip Glass. Far Away Music is Brody’s first album on Preserved Sound.

Release date: February 26. Pre-order here:

www.preservedsound.bandcamp.com

Pre-order

Benjamin Louis Brody - Floating into Infinity

Written by Benjamin Louis Brody
benbrodymusic.com

Trombone - Alaina Alster & Max Sholl 
Synth - Benjamin Louis Brody 

Mixed and Mastered by Carlos Bustillo 
bushwicksounds.com
Artwork by Matt Andres
worktheangle.tumblr.com

Oscillations

Composed & Produced by Benjamin Louis Brody

* All samples provided by Found Sound Nation and Symphony For A Broken Orchestra. Symphony for a Broken Orchestra was commissioned by Temple Contemporary at The Tyler School of Art. Major support is provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, with additional support from the Barra Foundation.

I am Become Death

◊ Flow State ◊

Related tracks