When I studied painting, I had a short-lived fascination with surrealism. My first work began as an assignment, but finished as one of my best. Because it was this weird combination of realism and imagination, it allowed metaphysical influence in material manifestation and a way to break down imaginative limitations. I was able to aesthetically express transcendent principles without articulation. So when I came across Dali's Corpus Hypercube, I was fascinated by its intersection with principles by philosophers as divergent as Kierkegaard and Lewis, Barth and Boenhoeffer. Most interesting in all these writer/artists was the idea that the timeless somehow intersected a single point in history and yet temporally impacts every aspect of time. Moreover, this approach to surrealism within a type of realism transcended Newtonian and quantum physics, and suspended the limited logic that both approaches eschew in favor of transdimensional and transchronological ideas, such as those found in string theory. Compositionally, I've enjoyed integratng odd-meter for textural development and superimposing other meters in and out of context. I have always also tried to provide some sort of aesthetic anchor for the listener, providing context for even the more extended ideas. In this case, the pervasiveness of the 5/8, is literally "hypercubism," as it adds a single beat to the "standard" pulse in four. However, the constant 8-notes belie the sense of meter in many places and so the environment of "5/8" is only a reference point in many places, for the musician and loses the listener at times. While I respect each listener's subjective interpretation, it may be beneficial to consider how this idea of "hypermeter" and common eighth notes represent the idea that there is far more underlying and influencing materialism than we might ever consider, when we only perceive the persistent pulse and not the underlying "time." Each ensemble and section is cohesive as it takes turns in texture, melody, motifs or rhythm. Some specific spots:
1. There are three themes that appear, the primary as presented in the first few bars, and clearly. The second is also linear. The third incorporates the linear with the 8-note pulse, notably in the trumpets, borrowing from the blue or major/minor superimposition.
2. The trumpets and horns present a "bell-tone", intentionally "off" from each other. Other ensembles occasionally join, especially at the end.
3. The ending is always most difficult, as I have never liked "pat" endings. In this case, the principle of tesseracts/hypercubes are vital in that in my interpretation, it treats time as far less a line, than an actual, measured dimension, without beginning or end, much less progression, in its own context. Therefore, while an eternally fading repeat (such as Holst's Planets ending) is impractical here, a sudden cessation, cutting off what was to continue, will present this idea of timelessness in the very fact that it ends...but only to our perception, in our material world.

Corpus Tesseractus

I sought to write a song about one single instant in a long lasting relationship.  This feeling of suspended bliss that might be felt once in a while laying in bed in early morning, mid-afternoon, or evening with your life partner.

In These Arms (pre-studio)

work in progress tracks, acoustic versions, alternate cuts, and pre-release mixes. Follow on IG for live dates in southern california: @johnnyonsapphire

New tracks tagged #odd-meter