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

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 - Chandra

NOUS - A Falling Tear

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