My favorite discovery of Jon Solomon's 2020 25-Hour Holiday Marathon on WPRB was that the Mars Williams behind the "Albert Ayler Xmas"  series of albums is the same sax player who played the hook on the Waitresses’ “Christmas Wrapping.”

Tickled by that intersection of experimental jazz and new wavy pop I put together a contribution for the 2021 marathon designed especially for the weird late late night stretch! I took that Mars Williams’ sax hook from the Waitresses' tune and looped it, but each time it came around I added another copy of it, slightly out of sync, on top. It keeps going round and around for 3 1/2 minutes until I let it collapse. 

I call it “I Am Wrapping In A Room (Merry Christmas, Alvin Lucier)” because its construction was inspired by Lucier’s conceptual sound art piece “I Am Sitting In A Room” which I fittingly first heard on WPRB, on the “Arcana” program around 1994.    

The "cover art" was made in the same spirit: a picture of a picture of a picture of a picture of a still from the original Waitresses' music video 

While this was made before Lucier’s  recent passing, this is still a memorial to his adventurous spirit and long artistic career that expanded my idea of sonic artistry. RIP

WPRBXMAS 2021?

I Am Wrapping In A Room ( Merry Christmas, Alvin Lucier)

chrysalis (full band practice)

Cemetery Loop Grove

Cobalt (voice memo demo)

sh*tty little voice memo to cross this one off the list

Waiting for Rain (voice memo demo)

take some time — voice memo

Feathered Thing (voice memo demo)

Neptune
I can't untune into you
float off with these notes on the wind
and always return as the tide's coming in

||:When you love the water it can wash you away
And I keep loving harder. I promise to stay:||

Neptune
detune me from you
or play me the notes you've always wanted to
bring me your dreams, bring life to the moon
bring light to our lives and I'll make it true

It's ok when the current takes you away
I watch you shimmer, devour, and sway
I stand on the warm sand
I'll hold it for you and steady your hand

||:When you love the water it can wash you away
And I keep loving harder. I promise to stay:||

Sick (voice memo demo)

Autumn Luz

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