Collages 2022, Brooklyn

Collages, Spring 2023, Brooklyn

Collage, Fall 2023, Brooklyn

Collage 1, September 2021, Brooklyn

Collage, December 2021, Brooklyn

The poem in the art song slice of the collage is “colloque sentimental” by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896). Performed/recorded during my senior recital at NYU in 2010. Voice: Nicole Haslett, Piano: Ji Eun Kim.

Collage, Winter 2022, Brooklyn

Collage, Fall 2022, Brooklyn

Collage 2, Spring 2023, Brooklyn

Recorded by F.A.M.E.S. Project (10-b-imaging)

Seed

Collage 3, Spring 2023, Brooklyn

Collage 1, Spring 2023, Brooklyn

Collage, June 7th 2023, Brooklyn

Thank you: Brad V for recommending to record the glass shattering sound near the Ninth Street Bridge in Gowanus; Bridget for suggesting using metronome as input into the guitar pickup, signal source used for various textures in the piece.

Collage, August 2023, Brooklyn

Rhythm and Color explores sonic brush strokes, splatters, torrents of the imaginary sonic paint -- the music strives for total formal and rhythmic freedom, incorporating symmetrical modes, hindu rhythms and overlapping independent musical concepts. Contemporary, abstract imagining of Fantasia -- it is a journey through colors, textures and abstract emotions. And throughout the sonic adventure, serving as both the listener's and the composer's guide, is a four-note theme -- the anchor that binds it together. 

The primary aesthetic goal of the piece is driven by Messiaen's unparalleled illustrations and teachings on the subject of rhythm and color. He often mentioned colors in the works of Max Ernst, Felix Labisse and, especially (my favorite) Robert Delaunay. It is also composed as a "thank you" to Messiaen for his wonderful music, and even more importantly for his unparalleled writings about music, art and life. I could only explain through music just how much I appreciate his contributions to art. 

Personally, this work represents a going back to my musical beginnings. When I began composing music back in high school, I used love the pure joy of composition, the drive to create something that was my own. Having spent four years tirelessly working as a freelance composer, and since moving to a more stable, non-musical day-job -- it feels incredible to go back to the early roots and compose for the pure joy of it -- for myself and the artistic goals that are important to me.

Rhythm and Color: I. Illustration

Rhythm and Color: III. Torrents

Lacuna, 2024

Mosaic incorporates electronic sounds, hindu rhythms and symmetrical modes into a diverse sequence of sonic colors – Mosaic is music for music's sake, abstract, with a focus on rhythmic, harmonic and formal freedom.

Mosaic stitches together a number of artistic threads I have been developing over the last few years. The three primary concepts are (1) my love for Messiaen's incredible writings on music theory and art, (2) my love for color, abstract art and (3) my experience with creating music digitally.

Once I decided that the piece was going to be digital only, the possibilities for how I was going to express 'a sequence of sonic colors' all of a sudden became unlimited.

Whenever I look, listen or watch a piece of art, the quality that strikes me the most is the piece's ability to create its own world. A piece which can create its own world can move through time and stay whole while the world around it changes.

While Mosaic is born out of simple love for composition and there is no grand intention for the piece to be timeless -- timelessness is a very distinct quality that I think can only be achieved through total creative freedom, and that freedom is something that I absolutely strive for.

The cover art is a photo of a mosaic created by Gaudi, in Barcelona.

Oblivion Daybook

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