a/Synchrony (2021) is a collection of two pieces of mine that play on the concept of unsynchronized sound. The first, "Augmentations" was commissioned by Christopher Kimball in 2019 and was originally scored for two pianos or marimbas; this version is a digital rendering of that composition on electric keyboard. "Augmentations" explores the progressive variations of a short motif that is gradually altered by various "lengthenings" of the material- sometimes rhythmically and sometimes through the expansion of harmonic content. Though the variations are simple to begin with, the two parts quickly fall out of sync with one another as their processes diverge.

Invocations is a fixed-media electronic piece from my student days that I re-edited. Originally titled "Acoustic Study no. 1," this piece uses only short samples of various percussion instruments (crotales, cymbals, and tam-tams) struck with various implements. I arranged the sounds in a way similar to how I would compose acoustic music, and then manipulated the audio around it to create various "glitched-out" effects; the scene, to me, is a trance-inducing ritual of bells, that begins reasonably akin to 'acoustic' music and is gradually spirals into the surreality of electronic music.

Invocation

Augmentations

Recorded live at HOUSE OF J in Houston, TX. MPS opened at the "Battle of the Free-est Spirit," organized by Lou Alejandre/Vivaldi's Green Jacket and Julia Rossel/Hotel Chlorine. 
Though the beginning part of the set went unrecorded, this album represents the back half of our second set ("iN mEDIAS rES") and the last tune ("..a little more bedtime")

IN MEDIAS RES

Recorded live at HOUSE OF J in Houston, TX. MPS opened at the "Battle of the Free-est Spirit," organized by Lou Alejandre/Vivaldi's Green Jacket and Julia Rossel/Hotel Chlorine.
Though the beginning part of the set went unrecorded, this album represents the back half of our second set ("iN mEDIAS rES") and the last tune ("..a little more bedtime")

...a little more bedtime

Recorded live at Lawndale Art Center in Houston, TX
Presented as part of "They; Who Sound" hosted by Nameless Sound

Ethan Adkison | contrabass
Ryan Hollaway | synthesizers
Paul Kasperitis | vibraphone

recorded by Ethan Adkison
cover by Paul Kasperitis

The Magpie Parliament Society