The idea of force governing the world, pre-established law, preconceived harmony, disappears to make room for the harmony that Fourier had caught a glimpse of: the one which results from the disorderly and incoherent movements of numberless hosts of matter, each of which goes its own way and all of which hold each in equilibrium.
- Piotr Kropotkin
Meet me by the pleroma reveals the usually inaudible difference tones that result from two pitches sounding together. These “sonic entities” affect our perceptions of dissonance, consonance, and tonality, and they are treated here as harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic material.
Charles Johnson is a composer and musician residing in Oakland, CA. In recent years he has developed a versatile analog electronic performance system, created interactive and intermedia work with unusual interfaces, and worked extensively with just intonation tuning systems – all with an ear towards finding faults and instabilities that might reveal latent beauty. Recordings of his work have been published by Communion, Amish, Merge, Umbrella, Phaserprone, Squealer and Threelobed and he has performed with Pauline Oliveros, Peter Kowald, Eugene Chadbourne, Frank Gratkowsi, and Miya Masaoka. Johnson holds an MFA in Electronic Music from Mills College.
credits
from Charles Johnson/Zachary Watkins,
track released July 1, 2009
Brendan Aanes – violin
Charles Johnson – analog electronics
Chad McKinney – slentem pelog
Danishta Rivero – long string instrument
Recorded at the Mills College Concert Hall March 14, 2008 by Stefan Smith.
supported by 4 fans who also own “meet me by the pleroma”
From the first notes I was spellbound. This austere and contemplative masterpiece ranks alongside the solo piano works of Satie, Young, Budd and Riley for its gravitas, mystery and poignant beauty. A landmark recording. Ferrara Brain Pan
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supported by 4 fans who also own “meet me by the pleroma”
Had the pleasure of attending Andy Lee's performance world premiere of "pianist, alone (2)" at CalArts in September 2013. Hearing it again now, it re-strikes me as uniquely, if quietly, stunning. Man music mechanism: all engaged in a pure probing of sonic possibility. Essential, restrained, ultimately rapturous. George Wallace