Nous
A Musical Rite Sessions
About the NOUS Dreamland Recording Studio Sessions and Approach:
While in the calm, wintry, forest solitude of Dreamland Recording Studio (nestled in Upstate NY) and in line with the intention of NOUS, the artists began each day applying meditative techniques to bring them further away from the habitual mind states of everyday life in order to create the space for natural intuition to unfold. For seven days of three to four studio sessions per day, the approach cycled between indeterminate and free improvisation, guided conceptual visualizations derived from esoteric graphics, meditations from different philosophical or esoteric traditions, mantric, chant, poetry and language experiments, and concepts derived solely from general musical or movement related guidelines. Many of the specifically musical ideas were guided by certain tonal areas, interval restrictions, modular rhythmic, melodic fragments, and simplified lead sheets.
Though some of the artists knew each other, the group had never played together and came from very different background, so the style of music was difficult to predict. However, from the beginning the influences for the project were drawn from elements of Post-Rock, Minimalism, Indeterminacy, World, Kraut-Rock, Psychedelic/Experimental Rock, Neo-Shamanism, Noise, Ambient, Drone, Folk Chant, and Free Jazz. Within the widely varied careers of the various musicians, there is at least one connection to each of these genres.
PRESS QUOTES
"A half-airy, half-aggressive interdisciplinary happening organized by the young and enterprising composer Christopher Bono, who brought together a wise, postcategory, electric and acoustic 12-person crew."
-- New York Times
"You couldn't pigeonhole it into one genre if you tried -- it goes from eerie David Lynchian soundscapes to Eastern melodies to avant-garde jazz drum freakouts to a million other places, all while remaining strangely accessible."
"(Sometimes) it is clear from the get-go that you're handling something potent, that the music you're about to hear is going to leap out of the digital format and grab you by heart... A captivating and moving piece of music."
“A worthy listen for anyone with an open mind and an unquenchable desire for music that can’t be categorized.”
ABOUT THE MUSICIANS
< NOUS I band members >
CHRISTOPHER BONO: keyboards, electronics, percussion, vocals
CALEB BURHANS: violin, viola
GREG FOX: drums, percussion, electronics
THOR HARRIS: drums, percussion, custom built instruments
IMAGO: cello
SHAHZAD ISMAILY: electronics, guitar, bass
GREY MCMURRAY: guitar, percussion
< Special guests >
CLARICE JENSEN: cello
CECILIE HAFSTAD: vocals, percussion
JEN KUTLER: assistant engineer, percussion, vocals
LAURA LUTZKE: violin
KEVIN MCMAHON: producer, engineering, mixing
HARIPRAKAASH: gong
~LARAAJI & ARJI: (Zither, Ambient Sounds)
ANTHONY MOLINA: synths, percussion
ALEX SOPP: flute
~AKIL DAVIS AND LOUD SOL PRODUCTIONS
VIDEOS
STUDIO PHOTOS
