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Crouton Music: An Improvised Music Hub

  Tobias

„Nodes and Anti-Nodes“ captures „the subtle actions in vibrating bodies, both audible and not“ and pares them with music by Muller and Jerman. „These scenes are glimpses into situations that Ernst Chladni and Hans Jenny might have pursued in a more scientific direction“, Jon Muller explains, „But for the lay viewer, it’s simply interesting to watch the real-time relationship between sound and material, and the juxtaposition of the results of natural movements paired with absolute silence.“

Next to „Nodes and Anti-Nodes“, Crouton also offers the collaboration between Noise artist Z'EV and longstanding Portuguese Avantgarde ensemble Osso Exotico.  For Jon Muller, this pairing has been a priority on his agenda for some time: „I was just as excited to find out myself what would happen if two legends met and „hit“ record. (...) I could hardly contain myself  to hear this pairing.“ He also had a gritty description at hand tp describe the proceedings on the disc: „This isn’t glassine drone music. It spews the grit of Tony Conrad and the trance of Terry Riley, while radiating the experience of a sweat lodge in a behemoth explosion of tribal minimalism.“ Note: No post-sound-processing was applied in any way.

Improvisor Hal Rammel then adds to the „Read“ section at Crouton Music by submitting an article on four instruments he has built over the years and how the process fo their design and performance techniques have influenced him as a composer. Read all about „The Snath“, „The Triolin“, „The Devil's Fiddle“ and „The Amplified Palette“. It is an inspiring read, which explains the interconnectedness between different forms of art: „ Instrument building is my more labored response to the situational tensions of musical circumstance. The vividness of such experiences readily impose their will in the workshop.“, Hal Rammel writes, „The heart of this discussion lies in musical interchange, in unwillingness to close the door on eithers’ experience of the other, directed toward meaning which may never appear quite clear in the face of sound’s evanescence.“

Finally, the „On Music Series“ will offer special download releases from the Crouton Music Shop, which will only be available from the site until the next volume. „Live in Paris“ catches „Nom Tom“, the trio of Saxophonist Jack Wright, Vocalist Carol Genetti, and Jon Mueller himself live at a gig at the French capitol last year. „The focus of the trio is on long, twisting lines of intense and sustained textures, broken abruptly by stuttered gaps and shifts of direction.“, according to Muller. A video clip on the Crouton site provides a glimpse at the action, full of stortorous noises and raw sighs.

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