The Place of the Way

Late summer is its own mysterious place, a world full of sadness for the disappeared long days of June, and bittersweet daydreams of sweaters and cold fall mornings, the smell of woodsmoke on the air. Reaching back and lunging forward. A farewell. I had my own farewell recently, as my family and I packed up the car and headed back to Massachusetts. We had often spoken of pulling the kids from school and taking a sabbatical somewhere for a year, so in some ways our experience of the pandemic, though scary at times, was a dream fulfilled, if lonely. I have struggled with some “survivor’s guilt” about our ability to flee, and tried simply to be grateful. In my twenties, I often pondered what entering a Monastery for a year would feel like, and these past eighteen months have provided some slight glimmer. I’ve learned much from watching my kids navigate their endlessly solitary days, and from tumbling deep into the repetition.

I recently watched again, the Netflix episode of Chef’s Table about the Seon Buddhist Nun, Jeong Kwan, and it left me with a renewed pursuit of reverence; the simple but profoundly difficult task of being in awe of all things at all time. I wrote in my journal more in the last year than I have in a decade, mostly observing the passing of time, the undulations of my days and my nights. There is great beauty in just acknowledging the movement of time; the slow, slow change. I also wrote a novella and a handful of short stories mostly as an exercise in language and observation. The process is not so different from making music and building instruments.

It feels good to be back in the shop, finishing things that were left on the bench and beginning new projects. Below are links to a new record of mine and one from a client and friend, made with a guitar that I built. I hope sincerely that this finds you well, and managing, as yet another wave of this mess crashes over. As we settle into fall and hunker down before the snow, I’ll report back with another finished recording and some new instruments for sale. Be well and be safe…

Shumoto and the Byrde
The Place of the Way
Lost Forest Records

The duo return with their commitment to deep listening, and a constant and strict adherence to simplicity and space, the long stretching out of time, which gives all sounds room to breathe. If they were successful in channeling the spirit of Pauline Oliveros on their first outing, they’ve managed to bring her back with force. For this session, the musicians were determined to record live. They setup six microphones with three “sound sources” for each player. Austin Hatch had an electric guitar, a steel string acoustic guitar, and an amplified metal stool. Jefferson Pitcher had an electric guitar, a nylon string guitar, and an amplified bowl. The record button was hit, and the two moved as they wished between the sound stations, creating their own unique blend of drones, boiler room rumblings, underwater screech and gurgle, distant echoes, and the gentle, interwoven melodies that reside at the centre of their work. While the sections with guitars sound at times composed, it is through restraint and attentive listening that the two manage to blend their free improvisations so seamlessly. The sound world created is one of wondrous hidden complexities, ripe for exploration amidst the low frequency drones, and crackles, the sound of giant insects, with achingly beautiful and nostalgic melodies sprinkled throughout. This is a contemplative record, one that brings the listener into the cave of Shumoto and the Byrde, one visited by Pauline Oliveros in her dreams, and one that has the power to carry you to The Place of the Way, wherever it may be. ~Lost Forest

Holland Hopson
Tell a Gossip
Tape Drift

An album of stunning and mesmerizing beauty in the form of seven solo electric guitar pieces from Holland Hopson. These tracks were recorded in Holland's studio in Alabama featuring a specially-designed guitar built for him by luthier Jefferson Pitcher. There is a purity on display here, featuring clean and unadorned playing that builds on Hopson's strengths as a songwriter, improviser, and all-around sonic wizard. His previous work has incorporated homemade electro-acoustic instruments, clawhammer style banjo and a range of abstract electronics. No matter the stylistic vessel, all of his music demonstrates the mind of a deep listener and thinker able to synthesize and integrate various ideas into something wholly new. Allow the musical vision and internal logic of these seven tracks the time and space to seep into your brain, and you will be deeply rewarded. - Tape Drift