Shibusa

River

This track was composed for an upcoming compilation album to be released on AEMC Records. Here's a description from AEMC:

"This album is part of the Communal Music series. AEMC created this ongoing experiment as an exploration of the usage of audio sources, the methodology of experimental ambient composers and sound in general. 

"Beforehand, each composer contributed audio - recorded instruments, field recordings, analog synthesizers, etc - resulting in a collective sample pack. The composers then had to translate this audio material to a musical composition. They weren’t allowed to add anything, so each composition is made with the same audio material. 

"It is striking to hear how the audio is interpreted, used and contextualized differently by the individual composers and how diverse and unique the compositions are. This clarifies the agency of the creators: they - not the audio - make the music. On the other hand, the audio sources demarcate a certain musical terrain, similar as to the limits of an acoustic instrument. 

"Above all, the Communal Music series is a celebration of experimental music and the collaboration between---often underappreciated---artists."

Siddhartha

Emergence

This track was inspired by the Zen Master, Dōgen Zenji. In his writings, he sometimes spoke of the connection between Zen and the natural world. I’ve tried to express that connection here musically.

Dōgen

Murmuration

Eclipse

This track was inspired by the Xian, the eight immortals of Taoism.

From Wikipedia:
Xian (Chinese: 仙/仚/僊; pinyin: xiān; Wade–Giles: hsien) refers to a person or similar entity having a long life or being immortal. The concept of xian has different implications dependent upon the specific context: philosophical, religious, mythological, or other symbolic or cultural occurrence. The Chinese word xian is translatable into English as:

(in Daoist philosophy and cosmology) spiritually immortal; transcendent human; celestial being
(in Daoist religion and pantheon) physically immortal; immortal person; an immortal; saint
(in Chinese alchemy) alchemist; one who seeks the elixir of life; one who practices longevity techniques
(or by extension) alchemical, dietary, or qigong methods for attaining immortality
(in Chinese mythology) wizard; magician; shaman; sorcerer
(in popular Chinese literature) genie; elf, fairy; nymph; 仙境 (xian jing is fairyland, faery)
(based on the folk etymology for the character 仙, a compound of the characters for person and mountain) sage living high in the mountains; mountain-man; hermit; recluse
(as a metaphorical modifier) immortal [talent]; accomplished person; celestial [beauty]; marvelous; extraordinary
(In new-age conception) seeker who takes refuge in immortality (longevity for the realization of divinity); transcended person [self] recoded by the "higher self"; divine soul; fully established being

Xian

With this experimental, impressionistic track I’ve tried to capture some of the chaos and frenetic energy we experienced when the recent series of winter storms passed through Northern California.

Squall

Maha-Vishnu

In Zen, ensō (円相) is a circle that is hand-drawn in one uninhibited brushstroke to illustrate the moment when the mind sets the body free to create.

This track is not available anymore.

Other tracks from Zensō