Anthology (2008) for String Quartet, Piano, and Percussion (fEAR no Music)

Movement V of my piece Anthology for string quartet, piano, and percussion, commissioned by the Barlow Endowment for Portland, OR based fEAR no Music. This is them, including Inés Voglar on violin, Joël Belgique on viola, and Joel Bluestone on percussion. Inspired by the music/sound of the Pixies in general, and the song "River Euphrates" in particular.

V. Gigantic Wave Of Bossanova

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

I wrote this song while riding my motorbike.

Motorbike Man

​i have these powers​ ​
​i'm so tired of using
and we're all ​tired of witnessing
all th​is​ witless abusing
​of everything everywhere
everyone trying to do the right thing​
trying to do the right thing​

​i listen and i barter
i advise and cajole
and all the energy i give
goes right in the black hole​
right in the black hole​
right in the black hole​

there's no tomorrow
so don't borrow sorrow ​

​the only consolation​
​as we watch the oceans rise
is that the only real control we have
is over what lives in our minds
what lives in our minds

trying to do the right thing​

don't borrow sorrow

Movement III of my multimovement work Anthology, for String Quartet, Piano, and Percussion.  Commissioned by the Barlow Endowment for fEAR no Music of Portland, OR.  Featuring Joel Belgique on viola, Ines Voglar on violin, et al.  This movement heavily influenced by the songs of Kate Bush.

III. Sensual, Exotic Siren

Movement IV from my Barlow-commissioned work Anthology, written for fEAR no Music. This movement takes inspiration from the Pixies and runs it through the Rube Goldberg Machine that is my mind to arrive at what's here...3 parts Pixies, one part pixie dust, some more razamatazz, and voila. 

IV. All my Ghosts (5, 6, 7)

Movement II of my piece Anthology...a cute little movement, inspired by Kate Bush, in particular by her song "This Woman's Work." Performed here (in concert) by fEAR no Music of Portland, OR. Going back to 2008-ish.

II. Breathing Exercise

Music to accompany your sweet splatter dreams

i. rushing down a steep steadily shrinking footpath on a 1995 green Nissan King Cab

ii. extreme long shot: blood spatters on Snowy Mountain (1'13'')

iii. the plastic wrapped corpse of your mother in burgundy crocodile leather wooden heeled cowboy boots (3'15'')

............

Commissioned by KLANG Festival
Premiered by Athelas Sinfonietta
Conducted by Pierre-André Valade

Music to accompany your sweet splatter dreams

´the worlds within out petty voids´ for flute, oboe, violin, viola and cello.

Written for and premiered by ensemble recherche.

Recorded by Chloe Deng.

the worlds within our petty voids

A piece for contrabass flute and 12 solo strings, performed by Richard Craig and NYOS: Futures (the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland)

For many years, I have been obsessed with all species of fish, to the extent that I would probably class myself as an amateur icthyologist (someone who studies fish). I was particularly interested in large fish and sharks when growing up and although I have never got round to swimming with sharks, it is on the list of things to do.

I have a strong memory of snorkelling, while on a family holiday in Menorca, in 1993, and being transfixed by an Ocean Sunfish, which was circling the small bay in which I was swimming. Although it was a small member of this unusual-looking species, it was still some 6 feet long (and tall), with a number of smaller fish swimming alongside it and probably weighed many times the small frame of my 15-year-old self.

I imagine the contrabass flute in this work to act as a sort of instigator of musical material, dragging the 12 string players along with it, as it tries to find its way into the open.

Close to Shore takes its title from a book by Michael Capuzzo about the shark attacks that ultimately inspired Peter Benchley to write Jaws, in New Jersey, in the summer of 1916. 


Close To Shore

Trombone Cloud Study 3

an attempt to make sense of this covid madness, in cahoots with my friend dave browne (https://soundcloud.com/david-browne-13), who laid down the initial track. 

is there anybody OUT THERE.

gotta stay put

First edit of a recording by fEAR no Music--Portland, OR - based - new music ensemble.  My friend, Violist  Joël Belgique, rocks on this piece.  The piece is inspired by Talking Heads in general, and the opening of the movie Stop Making Sense AND the Remain in Light album by said band.  Please enjoy.

I. No Fear of Music Here

i've been a good man and i've been a fool, 
said all kinds of dumb things just trying to be cool.
but one thing's for certain—one thing i know:
everybody deserves love, and onward we go.
if time is a river and love is the sea,
may the water move swiftly, may the passage be free.

love is the sea

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!

III. Sensual, Exotic Siren

SteveRicks

Related tracks