Ron Coulter, percussion; Steve Ricks, trombone and electronics--recorded on March 15, 2021. Another clip from the cutting-room floor. The end of what I think will be the lead track on one of the CDs...I like the way the whole track turned out, but I understand Ron's edits...it's a sprawling track that kind of has a lull just before this moment, so I think he chose the meatiest part, before things go over the edge and start a lugubrious slide to the bottom. This gets low and blatty...

Ricks Coulter This is the End

Movement VI. from my piece Anthology, for string quartet, piano, and percussion...with some electronics in mvmnts. I. and VI. Commissioned by the Barlow Endowment for Portland, OR-based fEAR no Music. This movement is inspired by Radiohead and I suppose Paul Lansky since it features the chord progression Radiohead lifted from the Lansky piece mild und liese for their song "Idioteque." It's a somewhat chill and contemplative conclusion to an otherwise virtuosic and often rambunctious piece.

VI. Alien Computer

The third of five tracks from RICKSPLUND (Steve Ricks, electronics n trombone; Christian Asplund, amplified viola) + Ron Coulter (percussion and lo-fi electronics) at the Springville Museum of Art on Friday, October 8, 2021. In the gallery space of the "Off the Wall" exhibit of sculptural works from the museum's permanent collection. Great acoustics, great vibes, great recording and playing by Ron Coulter. Visit the RICKSPLUND YouTube channel to see video of this performance: www.youtube.com/channel/UCzk-Qo6eKLctRE-MzMQCtrQ

RICKSPLUND + Coulter @ SMofA 3

Overlapping Voices (2021-22) represents my first collaboration with pianist Jihea Hong-Park, my friend and colleague at BYU. This piece was created for a concert Jihea and I organized with our students called "Stories of Our Time," where performers in her studio collaborated with composers in the seminar I co-direct to come up with piano works inspired by current issues. For our piece, we focused on Jihea's cultural/racial identity as a Korean American, and recent hate crimes against Asians in the US and elsewhere. In live performance some quotes that Jihea selected from recent articles, interviews, and other media sources are projected onto a screen and accompanied by resonances taken from the piano harmonies. We decided to represent the mixed feelings Asian American immigrants (and others) might feel by mixing two songs that would represent these different identities: "Gohyang-ui Bom" ("Spring in My Hometown")is used to represent Korean identity (a song Jihea remembers from her youth), and the United States National Anthem represents American identity. The piece grows out of these two songs being juxtaposed against one another, and as it builds momentum, additional musical elements intrude. At the climax of the piece, several audio clips from Stop Asian Hate protests are mixed together and lead to the final, perhaps uncertain, resolution of the piece. We hope the music, sound, and projected text help listeners empathize with the sort of conflict and struggle people from different countries and cultures often feel, and the discrimination they experience, when living in America.

The image uploaded with this track is a picture Jihea took of a banner by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya--multidisciplinary artist, educator, and activist--that hung outside the Lincoln Center in NYC.

Overlapping Voices PREMIERE PERFORMANCE

Track 2 of the RICKSPLUND set in the Avant GaRAWge, 7.13.22. Christian Asplund, amplified violin; Steve Ricks, live electronics/effects.

RICKSPLUND @ Avant GaRAWge 7.13.22 VvioLlin 3

Track 1 of the RICKSPLUND set in the Avant GaRAWge, 7.13.22. Christian Asplund, amplified violin; Steve Ricks, live electronics/effects.

RICKSPLUND @ Avant GaRAWge 7.13.22 VvioLlin 1

RICKSPLUND at The Chapel, Good Shepherd Center, Seattle, WA. October 28, 2022. Second segment of the set. Christian Asplund - amplified viola, piano; Steven Ricks - electronics, trombone.

Ricksplund at The Chapel 10.28.22 Segment 2

Part 5 of the RICKSPLUND + Greg Campbell set at Gallery 1412 in Seattle, WA, Saturday, October 29, 2022. Christian Asplund - amplified viola, piano; Steve Ricks - trombone, electronics; Greg Campbell - drum set, percussion, cornet, horn, etc.

RICKSPLUND + Greg Campbell @ Gallery 1412 Part 5

Thursday, December 22, 2022...in the Avant GaRAWge...RICKSPLUND CD release show with Oui Freakings. The first sojourn...all tracks feature some loops created from prepared/broken vinyl, in addition to other sounds.

RICKSPLUND CD release gig Track 1

Thursday, December 22, 2022...in the Avant GaRAWge...RICKSPLUND CD release show with Oui Freakings. The second sojourn...all tracks feature some loops created from prepared/broken vinyl, in addition to other sounds. Christian switched to violin on this track (as opposed to viola on the others).

RICKSPLUND CD release gig Track 2

Thursday, December 22, 2022...in the Avant GaRAWge...RICKSPLUND CD release show with Oui Freakings. The third sojourn...all tracks feature some loops created from prepared/broken vinyl, in addition to other sounds.

RICKSPLUND CD release gig Track 3

The first JAM from the inaugural RICKSPLUNDgaRAWgeCast...January 12, 2023. Hoping to make this a monthly broadcast...live audience optional (thanks to Gustaf Nielsen, our one audience member). The usual suspects/tools/etc., with a new toy, the Hikari Instruments MONOS CV Desktop Synth setting the tone/groove at the beginning. Let's go.

RICKSPLUND @ GaRAWge Let's Get This Thing Started

RICKSPLUND in the GaRAWge for the inaugural RICKSPLUNDgaRAWgeCast, January 12, 2023. Our final sojourn...Christian takes a chance on venturing into the free-vocal-improv space...always risky, but some fun results here. Turn it up to 11 and let the wacky, sick, profoundness wash over you...

RICKSPLUND @ GaRAWge WACKY SICK PROFOUND

Just messing with some loops, dusting off the cobwebs to get ready for upcoming MOXsonic/etc performances with RICKSPLUND et al in Missouri in March. These were some loops culled from recording audio clips in a video art installation in the Henry Art Gallery on the UW campus...image for this track is a close up of a spot in the large mixed media exhibit Magma Slit by Donna Huanca.

Henry Loops Study 1

Grooves n beats from prepared vinyl loops :)

Strange Vinyl Groove(s) 1.wav

The end of the tour...post-Missouri in the GaRAWge, opening up for the Tucson-based band 'Compersion.' This features more live-piano-plus-loops material than our jams usually do, I'd say. Part 1 of 3.

RICKSPLUND in the GaRAWge 3.20.23 Part 1

RICKSPLUND In The GaRAWge 3.20.23 Part 3

Thanks to Ron Coulter for busting out his recorder and also mixing this track...RICKSPLUND's set from a shared concert in the Box at BYU, Saturday, July 8, 2024. We got the night started and then there were other great performances by the Vinny Golia, Ron Coulter, Matt Smiley trio, who were then joined by Josh Gerowitz and Louis Lopez. We ended the night with a big septet extravaganza. Fun times!

RICKSPLUND In The Box 7.8.23

Oğuz Büyükberber, clarinet; Steven Ricks, trombone. Free improv duo as part of the Avant GaRAWge concert by RICKSPLUND, featuring Oğuz Büyükberber and Erik Larson (bass) on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Really fun concert...more tracks to come.

Security Blanket

Our fourth track/segment of the concert on September 21, 2023, by Oğuz Büyükberber (Bb clarinet, analog synth), Christian Asplund (piano, keyboards, amplified viola), and Steven Ricks (trombone, electronics); live recording in The Box, BYU Music Building, by Jeff Carter. I think all the tools in the toolbox came out for this one. Just about.

Buyukberber Asplund Ricks TRIO Concert Track 4 Hybrid Hyacinth

Final segment of the concert on September 21, 2023, by Oğuz Büyükberber (Bb clarinet, analog synth), Christian Asplund (piano, keyboards, amplified viola), and Steven Ricks (trombone, electronics); live recording in The Box, BYU Music Building, by Jeff Carter. I said track 4 was my favorite, but this one is pretty tasty as well...a sort of beautiful and subtle conclusion to the night.

Buyukberber Asplund Ricks TRIO Concert Track 5 Unexpected Walk

RICKSPLUND's first performance at the unique A Frame venue in Provo's tree streets neighborhood. December 14, 2023. We closed out a night of interesting music and performances by several BYU music composition majors. Thanks to Andrew Maxfield for sharing his beautiful home/venue with us.

RICKSPLUND At The A Frame Number One

Just messing around while flying back from Phoenix on an unexpected re-route via Southwest Airlines.

Long Strange Southwest Part 1

The second jam track from Asplund's office yesterday...this one has beats and grooves, of a sort :)

RICKSPLUND In MB4015 Short Short Long

Back in the GaRAWge on 8_17_2024. Asplund firing up ye olde sampler and looper from yesteryear.

RICKSPLUND In The GaRAWge 8 17 2024

Recording of RICKSPLUND's performance on the BYU Composition Faculty Recital, January 31, 2025, Recital Hall, BYU Music Building. Christian Asplund, amplified viola; Steven Ricks, electronics (loops/effects/etc. using Max).

RICKSPLUND @ BYUMB Recital Hall 1_31_2025

An excerpt from Meikyū (2024) for Contrabass Flute and Polyphonic Transmodal Nexus. Ned McGowan, contrabass flute. From the premiere performance at Splendor Amsterdam on December 8, 2024.

Meikyu Wandering in the Labyrinth

Ned McGowan performs and then launches into an analysis of the opening of 'Meikyū'...the analysis isn't included in this clip, but if you listen to the end you do get to hear Ned say "OK...let's make an analysis of this opening..." From the premiere performance on Dec. 8, 2024, Splendor Amsterdam. Please enjoy!

Meikyū Opening

Fever Dream Sequence no. 1 from Meikyū, performed by Ned McGowan on December 8, 2024, at Splendor Amsterdam.

Meikyū_Fever Dream Sequence 1

Fever Dream Sequence no. 2 from Meikyū, performed by Ned McGowan on December 8, 2024, at Splendor Amsterdam. 

Meikyū_Fever Dream Sequence 2

One of my most favorite musical creations ever, for some reason. These are two loops from my 'Piece for Mixed Quartet,' both slower than usual, and one of them much softer than the other. A chunk of this nugget appears in my piece 'Assemblage Chamber,' which is on the New Focus Recordings release of the same name, link to track here:
https://newfocusrecordings.bandcamp.com/track/assemblage-chamber

Haunting Loop(s) from Mixed Quartet

RICKSPLUND back in the Avant GaRAWge, opening for Enoch Thornock and his band (at least for the night) Bicycle. Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Fun times and a GREAT turnout, thanks to Enoch and his crew.

RICKSPLUND @ Avant GaRAWge Enoch Prelude

Soundtrack for a Rainy Day 1

My first "official" piece using the Kyma system, originally premiered by Glenn Webb at KISS 2019 in Busan, Korea. This is the concert recording of Matt Coleman playing the piece as part of the BYU Group for New Music concert on October 30, 2025, Music Building Recital Hall. This was the second concert commemorating 100 years of music composition in the BYU School of Music.

After the Storm GFNM 10.30.25

Layers of sonic objects, field recordings, music, sounds, etc.

Dreamscape Soundtrack no. 43a

Audio recording/mix of the premiere performance of Ever Ascending (2018), for piano, percussion, and electronics (there was video too). Performed by Laurent Durupt (piano/prepared piano) and Rémi Durupt (percussion) of Ensemble Links, and yours truly on live and pre-created electronic sounds. Premiere performance: BYU Museum of Art, Friday, February 23, 2018. This mix includes a bit of extra spice that wasn't originally in the live performance, including an interlude I created for the performance BUT which didn't make an appearance. Thanks to the Laycock Center, the Barlow Endowment, and the College of Humanities for the generous support that made this project possible and allowed me to invite the Durupt brothers to campus for this piece/event. And of course thanks to all the usual helpful suspects in the BYU SOM, including Troy Streeter (sound), Keith Kopp and Rick Baldassin (piano access and moving), Jeff Carter (sound recording), and Jordan Hope and Jane Orton (percussion toting). Video by David Chapman Lindsay...look for posts on YouTube and elsewhere that will include video.

Ever Ascending (2018)

Trombone Cloud Study 3

This track from my Comprovise Records release features a close-mic'd improvisation with a Coke bottle and a Dr. Pepper can, some added delay, a rubber band and paper clip, and some love.  Please enjoy.

dpvscoke

I create music and sound...for chamber ensembles, soloists, occasionally large ensembles, and often including electronics.  I also improvise using my trombone, laptop, or both.  THESE ARE MY SOUNDS.  Please enjoy!

SteveRicks

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