NOUS is an experimental music project with a fluctuating group of artists exploring ritual and spontaneity within music. The first trilogy of releases were culled from a 5-day musical retreat wherein 13 musicians were invited to join Christopher Bono at the legendary Dreamland Studios, a converted church, with producer Kevin McMahon (Swans, Titus Andronicus) on an intensive 7-day immersion -- recording for 5 days, with 2 live performances at the conclusion. Each member was given a 47 page handbook that included a series of 60 musical "seed" ideas along with a list of conceptual cues. These ideas acted as a starting place for each improvisation. Bono then designed a daily schedule that began with a morning warmup routine of yoga followed by silent meditation, vocal toning, body percussion, and then a mixed percussion and toning session before moving to their respective instruments. These morning sessions were designed to move gradually from silence to sound within the body (vocal toning), rhythm on the body and finally to a blend of external instruments coinciding with internal sound (instruments and vocal toning.) Once the recording schedule began each day, Bono mixed the seed and conceptual ideas along with timed periods of free improvisation.This conceptual social experiment led to 3 albums and a transcendent sound formed from a unique fusing of collective consciousness.

Nous band members on this recording:
~ Christopher Bono (Composer, Ghost Against Ghost) christopherbono.com
~ Greg Fox (Guardian Alien, Zs, Ben Frost, ex-Liturgy)
~ Shahzad Ismaily (Yoko Ono, Laurie Anderson, Bonnie Prince Billy)
~ Thor Harris (Swans, Angels of Light, Amanda Palmer, Shearwater)
~ Grey Mcmurray (itsnotyouitsme, So Percussion, Tyondai Braxton)


Special guests:
~ Clarice Jensen, Cello (ACME: American Contemporary Music Ensemble, yMusic, Ra Ra Riot)
~ Anthony Molina (Mercury Rev)
~ Caleb Burhans, Composer (itsnotyouitsme, ACME)
~ Laura Lutzke, Violin (ACME)
~ Alex Sopp, Flutes (ACME, yMusic)
~ Imago, Cello / Vocals (Múm)
~ Cecilie Hafstad, Vocals
~ Hariprakaash, Gong
~ Akil Davis and Loud Sol Productions

NOUS III

Gareth Jones and Christopher Bono return with their second album as Nous Alpha, ‘A Walk In The Woods’. Hear the rustling electronic opener, ‘Important Moments’, now

More info: https://djmag.com/music/premiere-nous-alpha-important-moments

A Walk in the Woods

Premiere: Nous Alpha ‘Important Moments’

Squid - G.S.K.
Nous Alpha - Golden Lemon
LUMP - Animal
Rodrigo Amarante - Mare
Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band - Dirt Off Your Shoulder
Jimmy 'Preacher' Ellis - Hard Times
Winter McQuinn - Huxley 
Trees Speak - Scheinwelt
Ducks Ltd. - Oblivion
DUMB - Pizza Slice
That Hideous Sound - Always To Blame 
Kolonel Djafaar - Recording 68 
Anthony Joseph - Swing Praxis
Lucas Santtana & Selecao Natural - Lycra-Limao
The Gripsweats - G'on Use It 
TEKE TEKE - Sarabande
AIM LOW - Broken Sundial
Rainy Day People - If Not Now, When
Tough Age - Giuseppe Pizzeria
Tommy McCook's Orchestra - Sampson
Grace Jones - Pull Up Tp The Bumper

Pressure Drop Show, 10th May 2021

Laraaji (born as Edward Larry Gordon) may be most well-known for his 1980 album Ambient 3: Day of Radiance, a collaboration with Brian Eno for his legendary ambient series of recordings, but Laraaji's career has actually spanned more than 40 years and includes over 50 releases. However, music is only one element of this laughter artist, meditation practitioner, and mystic traveler. As Eno says, "Laraaji is one of the calmest and most serious people I have ever met, and also one of the most lighthearted. It's an unusual combination, but somehow both qualities show in his work – it's deep and bright at the same time." Geoff Stanfield had a conversation with Laraaji from which excerpts were pulled for an article in Tape Op issue #141, but actually hearing the words and wisdom is an experience all its own. Enjoy!

Sponsored by Focusrite
https://focusrite.com

Episode 61: Laraaji

Track list: 
Angermund - Wayfaring - Running Records
Haugli - A day with you
Samer Soltan - Close to you (Meera remix) - Anime
Haugli - Marimbas 
Gabbarein - Gabbarein (Nils Olav remix) - Our Silent Canvas
Fjordfunk - Forever More - ALO
Third Attempt - People Are Beautiful - Beatservice
Maya Vik - Friction Addiction - Oslo Records 
Maya Vik - Reverie - Oslo Records 
Boblebad - Mermaid feat. Guro - Beatservice 
Neon Streams - Ataraxia - Music Nordics
Casablanca 303 & Voodoo Meluk - Insollino 
KSMISK - Make Me Wait - Lab Cleaning Jams 
Naboklage &.Pyramiden - Grabbin Grain - Tempo Tapes

LYD. New Norwegian Sounds. July 2024

Composed & Arranged by Michael Hewett (Being in Dreaming Music/BMI)
Guitars - Michael Hewett
Tracking Engineer - Michael Hewett
Mix Engineer - Michael Hewett
Cover Art Design - Carol Issa

Available for download at https://michaelhewett.bandcamp.com/track/gold-acoustic-instrumental-version-2

Muses

Gold

GOLD (Acoustic Instrumental Version)

NOUS - We Hope The Weather Will Continue

https://www.oursilentcanvas.org
©2020 Our Silent Canvas

New York experimental music project  NOUS, led by producer and composer Christopher Bono, announces NOUS III, the third installment from the lineup which comprised the band's opening trilogy of releases. 

The ethos of NOUS is to consistently explore the spectrum of improvisational possibilities in music.  While the ensemble has explored free jazz, noise, traditional song structures and rhythmic motifs as improvisational fodder, the first single from NOUS III, “Ninths” is a contemplative and atmospheric melodic work that was presented to the musicians as a simple lead sheet that consisted of a series of “Ninth” chords (music theory nomenclature) moving in a parallel fashion. This repetitive progression provides the foundation on which NOUS weaves and layers a dynamic improvisational performance.

NOUS is an experimental music project with a fluctuating group of artists exploring ritual and spontaneity within music. The first trilogy of releases were culled from a 5-day musical retreat & social experiment wherein 13 musicians were invited to join Christopher at the legendary Dreamland Studios, a converted church, with producer Kevin McMahon (Swans, Titus Andronicus) on an intensive 7-day immersion -- recording for 5 days, with 2 live performances at the conclusion. Each member was given a 47 page handbook that included a series of 60 musical “seed” ideas along with a list of conceptual cues. These ideas acted as a starting place for each improvisation. Bono then designed a daily schedule that began with a morning warmup routine of yoga followed by silent meditation, vocal toning, body percussion, and then a mixed percussion and toning session before moving to their respective instruments. These morning sessions were designed to move gradually from silence to sound within the body (vocal toning), rhythm on the body and finally to a blend of external instruments coinciding with internal sound (instruments and vocal toning). Once the recording schedule began each day, Bono mixed the seed and conceptual ideas along with timed periods of free improvisation.This conceptual social experiment led to 3 albums and a transcendent sound formed from a unique fusing of collective consciousness.

NOUS - Ninths

NOUS - Never Can It Be

NOUS - Dust Suspended

NOUS - A Falling Tear

Hollow Ship - Magic Mountain
Kelly Finnigan - I Called You Back Baby
Paddy Hanna - Cannibals
Flaming Lips - Flowers Of Neptune 6 (feat. Kacey Musgraves)
Mong Tong - A Nambra
The Beatles - Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Band - Up On Cripple Creek
Navet Confit - OK
PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING - London Can Take It
The Kinks - Brainwashed
NOUS - We Hope The Weather Can Continue
TJ Roberts - Sinceridipity
Protomartyr - Michigan Hammers
Hater - Sift
Viscardi & Alano Santo - Biologia Urbana
The Bamboos - Hard Up
REPO - Canyon
Jade Hairpins - Father Coin
Tim Presley - Must Go
Thee Sinseers - What's His Name
Tommy McCook - Two For One
Billy Stewart - Summertime

Pressure Drop Show, June 1st 2020

Nous Alpha - Virtues

Non-Profit record label for experimental electronic, avant-pop, contemporary classical, post-rock, hypnotic, psychedelic, weird and other extreme and beautiful sounds.

NOUS - Ninths

Our Silent Canvas

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