Album Notes

About this recording:

Application of intuitive-now reactions and chance processes developed in a slow multi-tracking environment were implemented throughout, allowing Glenn Weyant to respond and create unpremeditated, organic and chaos driven sonic solutions as if newly heard.

Weyant increased the potential for non-deterministic happenstance by performing upon found, unique and traditional instrumentation.

It is the intent of this recording to offer listeners sonic possibilities beyond the confines of their own being and circumstance.

Listen deep and experience.

Track Background:

1. As Dawn Forms: This piece began as a blind duet between running water and an upright piano cluttered with cultural ephemera such as picture frames and statues. The left/right microphones were placed upon a tile floor at either end of the piano during the recording to emphasize the keyboard's extremes. Strings were suspended to enhance natural drones. A second pair of microphones were situated beside a ceramic glazed iron sink into which water poured from a 50 year old chrome faucet. Six days later an accompanying track for processed tenor saxophone was added. A month later a track for guitar prepared with bolts, paper clips and strung with industrial steel wire of various gauges was added.

2. These Thoughts Reel: A monaural improvisation on the Kestrel 920 (see below) served as the foundation for this piece. The Kestrel 920 was modified to utilize one bungee chord instead of the usual seven. In so doing, a section of iron mattress buttress suspended from a satellite dish mount was given greater leeway to create bell-tone harmonics when played in conjunction with the tuned dust pan. The following day the guitar track was added utilizing traditional tuning and strings but prepared with two one-inch galvanized steel washers. A week later the clarinet, Tibetan death mask flute, chimes and brass bell were included within one hour of each other usually after a short meal or lite snack.

3. Across Forgotten Meadowlands: Following an unusually wind-driven morning spent watching leaves and birds this piece was recorded. Each track was added separately but never as a whole. IE: A.Guitar solo/ B.Flute played while listening to guitar/ C.Alto played while listening to flute/ D.Clarinet played while listening to alto/ E.Chimes while listening to clarinet/ F. Singing bowl played while listening to chimes. While the wind instruments were played without modification, the microphones were strategically placed to enhance spatiality. Locations included: suspended from the ceiling, inside a brick fireplace, facing an adobe brick corner and inside a tin can. The guitar was prepared with a child's metal hair clip.

4. Snug In Acid Washed Genes: All tracks were played as a duet with a stereo recording of three washing machine cycles (wash/rinse/spin) over the course of three weeks. As a result the precise cycles and random sounds created via interaction with water, detergent and clothes served as conductor/composer determining the final arrangement.

5. One Hand Raised: For this piece, recorded in a single day over a period of six hours, the Kestrel 920 acted as the initiator track. An improvisational piano performance was then played in response. Subsequently the first Kestrel 920 performance was erased and a second performance was recorded in response to the piano track. The piano track was then erased and re-recorded in response to the newly recorded Kestrel 920 track. This process of improvising and rerecording was completed ten times. The result is a blending of evolution and divine intervention.

6. Spinning: Initially this piece began as a solo performance for shortwave signal altered and processed utilizing the radio’s SFO, gain and tone controls. Eventually overdriven guitar/feedback was played in response. Piano was then added based on the guitar performance. Alto sax was added in response to the piano. The piece was recorded over a period of roughly two months.

7. In The Sea Of Key: Kestrel 920 processed.

About Glenn Weyant:

Glenn Weyant is (among other things) a sound-sculptor living in Tucson, Arizona. While the majority of his work/performance is solo exploration, over the past five years he has worked with The Running Dogmas Collective, Prepping Finger Salad, The High On Out Duo, and George Haslam.

About the Kestrel 920:

The Kestrel 920, is a sound transmogrifer designed and calibrated by Glenn Weyant to amplify and exploit the nano and overt vibrations created through percussive blows, bowing, electromagnetic fields and assorted manipulation.

At the heart of Kestrel 920 is a segment of found lumber that has been hollowed to create a resonation chamber for the mounting of a contact microphone. The lumber has been strategically mounted with found objects mostly including: a tuned dust pan, a deconstructed satellite dish mount, assorted screws, nails, bungee cords, wires and springs. The vibrations and subsequent tones created by the manipulation of these objects passes into/and is translated by the grain of the lumber where it is captured by the contact microphone, boosted, processed and eventually broadcast.

Discography:

1. Red Eye: 1991(Cassette • Out of Print)
2. The Nantucket Sessions: 1994(Cassette • Out of Print)
3. Squid: 1996 (Cassette • Out of Print)
4. Tucson Mountain Chaos: 1998(Cassette• Out of Print)
5. Best of The Running Dogma Collective: 2000 (CD • Ltd.)
6. Prepping Finger Salad Live @ MBI: 2001(CD • Ltd.)
7. Sound Collage #18 For Trains and Rails: 2004(CD • Ltd.)
8. Red Coffee/Black Wine: 2005(CD • Avail./ CDBABY)
9. Seven Transharmonic Explorations: 2006(CD • Avail./ CDBABY)