Hypnophoniac

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Commissioned by Justus and Elizabeth Schlichting for the 2023 Bang on a Can Summer Festival

Completed May 27, 2023
Premiered July 29, 2023 as part of Bang on a Can's Loud Weekend 2023 by Todd Reynolds (cond.), Claire Litwinowicz (vln.), Santiago Velo Quintairos (vla.), Elizabeth Kate (vc.), JP Bernabe (cb.), Abrielle Scott (fl.), Anne Pinkerton (ob.), Lucas Gianini (cl.), Will Pyle (sax), Maya Stone (bsn.), Betty Chen (pno.), and Ethan Strickland (perc.)

I love watching ensembles play. There’s always so much happening at any given moment: all this cuing and tuning and listening and watching. The complicated group dynamics going on can be dizzying to keep track of, and within larger chamber ensembles, there can be such an intricate web of communication that it feels like a miracle that pieces hold together at all. 

This kind of intimate group communication happens all the time in nature, and one of the most familiar is the flock. Flocks of birds have often been written about in a near-mythological manner - the massive patterns they form and their hypnotic motion have inspired studies and superstitions alike. They can grow to be tens of thousands strong, but despite all their apparent organization, flocks do not have a solitary leader. Instead, individuals hone in on the signals of their seven closest neighbors, and they move about together. Since each neighbor will have its own seven neighbors and so on, a signal from one end of the flock eventually ripples all the way to the other. 

Of a Feather is inspired by the whirling coordination of flocks. Gestures are imitated and scattered throughout the group a la flock communication, and much of the vocabulary of the piece is filled with rushing motion. The piece is mercurial and vibrant, moving rapidly through key areas while freely expanding and contracting its motifs. Ultimately, Of a Feather is a study in ensemble communication, treating its members equally as individuals and parts of a whole.

Many thanks to Justus and Elizabeth Schlichting for commissioning the piece, and much gratitude to the fellows of the 2023 Bang on a Can Summer Festival for realizing it.

Of a Feather, for chamber ensemble

20230824 2217 Slowacid Take 1

risen_dawn {115ku[1.1.(6c.4)]}

Regulator Incident

"Within the inner minds of psychosis, where thoughts danced like marionettes and reality wore a polka-dot hat, there existed a peculiar substance known as Vasolonstirctor Rub. Legend had it that this gooey concoction could make your ears sing in harmonious disharmony and your eyebrows perform an intricate tap dance. No one really knew where it came from; some said it was the result of a cosmic chef's experiment gone awry, while others believed it was a gift from the intergalactic jester.

On the distant alien moon of Quirkalon, where the craters resembled smiley faces and the rocks hummed catchy tunes, a group of extraterrestrial beings known as the Quiblorgs gathered for their annual Moonlight Mingle. The Quiblorgs, with their tentacle-like appendages and luminescent eyes that changed color with their emotions, were known throughout the cosmos for their love of absurdity.

As the moonlight bathed Quirkalon in a surreal glow, the Quiblorgs unveiled their prized delicacy – fingernail sandwiches. These weren't your ordinary sandwiches; they were meticulously crafted using the finest interstellar bread and garnished with toenail confetti. The Quiblorgs believed that the crunchiness of the fingernails added a special texture that elevated their culinary experience.

To amplify the bizarre festivities, the Quiblorgs decided to introduce the mysterious Vasolonstirctor Rub into the mix. One brave Quiblorg, named Zinglorp, dipped their tentacle into the Rub and began performing a mesmerizing dance that defied the laws of physics. As Zinglorp twirled and spun, the Vasolonstirctor Rub emitted a symphony of giggles and hiccup-like burps, creating an otherworldly spectacle.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Quiblorgs formed a circle and passed around the fingernail sandwiches, their appendages wriggling with delight. The combination of the Vasolonstirctor Rub-induced dance and the fingernail sandwiches turned the Moonlight Mingle into a cosmic carnival of chaos and joy.

As the night unfolded, the Quiblorgs discovered that the Vasolonstirctor Rub had a side effect – it made their laughter sound like intergalactic kazoo symphonies. The moonlit madness continued, with the Quiblorgs dancing, munching on fingernail sandwiches, and producing melodic laughter that echoed through the quirky craters of Quirkalon.

And so, under the peculiar glow of the alien moonlight, in the inner minds of psychosis, the Quiblorgs celebrated their uniqueness with the help of Vasolonstirctor Rub and fingernail sandwiches, creating a tale that left the minds of psychosis swirling in delightful confusion...."

Spykes

"Vasolonstirctor Rub"

tw0tw0

dirty version of a track that ended up being used for a different project // enjoy <3

binary heartache (mopfunk ver)

joking

This anthology of historic Italian zampogne bagpipes and ciaramella oboes recorded in Calabria, Campania, and Lazio/Molise and the US, is available for Flac and MP3 download on my blog:
https://music-republic-world-traditional.blogspot.com/2024/05/italy-italie-zampogne-bagpipes-italia.html

Zampogne / Bagpipes Italia Vol. 2 – Albatros VPA 8482 

Italy Zampogne / Bagpipes Anthology

https://lucitaoctans.bandcamp.com/album/antliae

Lucita Octans - Tropic of Capricorn

'Warmer Squares'
DJ MAG: 9.5/10: "A landslide victory" 
Mixmag: 8/10 "These tracks could work any room at the right moment"

http://igloomag.com/reviews/scarper-warmer-squares-plexus

BBC 6Music, Nemone's Electric Ladyland 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01s9ky3

Pre-order Scarper's debut album 'Warmer Squares' from @bleep_bot & receive an instant track download of 'The Drift' https://bleep.com/release/81644-scarper-warmer-squares

Free Download https://www.xlr8r.com/mp3/2016/11/scarper-lacuna-jani-r-remix/

http://igloomag.com/reviews/scarper-lacuna-plexus

Clash magazine are premiering the full video for 'Lacuna', you can watch it here - http://clashmusic.com/videos/premiere-scarper-lacuna

E- Funk: https://living-techno.com/879/

Lacuna Review - http://igloomag.com/reviews/scarper-lacuna-plexus

Teaser vid for 'Lacuna', directed & produced by 'Letty Fox' https://vimeo.com/188326551

https://soundcloud.com/scarper/electric-riot-temptation-scarper-remix Appears on new 137 track compilation "touched bass' with proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer. Artists also include John Tejada, G-man, Mark Archer, The Hacker, Si Begg & Posthuman.


'Hypnophoniac' out now on Plexus Records.  Electro legend @DMXKrew on the remix.

http://www.earmilk.com/2014/03/25/scarpers-hypnophoniac-is-perfect-for-late-nights-and-dark-times/

https://www.xlr8r.com/mp3/2013/06/surfing-the-cosmic-belt/

http://thelineofbestfit.com/new-music/blog/listen-scarper-bubblecloud-best-fit-premiere-125894

http://de-bug.de/reviews/scarper-unfurl-ep-plexus-plxs002/

http://stoplooklistenmusic.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/stoplooklisten-interview-scarper-plexus.html (Recommended listen)

DISCOGRAPHY
NOIA085: Hydromancer 
PLXS002: Unfurl EP 
PLXS004: Hypnophoniac 
PLXS007: Lacuna
PLXS008: Warmer Squares 
PLXS009: E-Funk 
PLXS0010: Fyretone 
PLXS0011: Noctis EP (October 18th)
Skynet EP (TBC)

REMIXES
Reso - What Is (Scarper Remix)
Gouseion - Careful Customer (Scarper Remix)
Electric Riot - Temptation (Scarper Remix)

For bookings or any other info: info@plexusrecords.co.uk

Hypnophoniac

Scarper

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