I'm beyond thrilled to announce that my new record, Arc, is coming out on May 17th. This one is a leap forward for me on a lot of levels...my playing, sounds, and the use of my live, improvisational ambience generating rig all took a step up. It's also the fulfillment of a long time dream to improvise with drumming legend and all around one-of-a-kind musician Jim Keltner. I had a day improvising as a duo with Jim, and then a day as a trio with Jim and James McAlister. These wonky, beautiful, textural performances became the source material for the 8 pieces on Arc. I carved away at these bits at home, in some cases uncovering and accentuating the hidden details, and in other cases wantonly dicing the original performances and bending them to my will. Jon Evans, Steve Moore, and Michael Iveson all contributed brilliantly, and Roger Joseph Manning Jr. conjured up some stunningly beautiful string arrangements.
This is a rich record, full of dynamics, thick grooves, and coruscating soundscapes. I can hear the threads leading back to my previous albums, but in Arc they're woven into some other kind of strange and beautiful tapestry. When I listen to it I get strange visions, that I won't go into here, because hopefully, you will see your own.
I'm very proud of this one. There will be a few small listening parties to share the record in the Seattle area, and then it will be available on my Bandcamp page on May 17th for mass enjoyment.
In other Live Atmospheres news...
Photo by Joshua McWilliams
My monthly residency at the Storyville Coffee Roasting Studio on Bainbridge has been an amazing incubator for my solo performing chops. Starting in June I'll be adding another day at the Roasting Studio, as well as an experimental soundscape session at their Pike Place location. I'm also looking for more interesting places where I can show up make sonic vibes, so if you have any ideas please contact me at hello@danphelps.com.