John McCowen - Mundanas VII-XI (2024) Hi-Res

In the late Winter of 2021, John McCowen was recording demos in his basement studio. He was aiming to record each part in one circular-breathed take. This turned out to be virtually impossible to achieve. This was due to a constant onslaught of earthquakes.These were earthquakes preceding the Fagradalsfjall volcanic eruption of March 2021 near his home in Reykjavík, Iceland. For weeks leading up to the eruption, there was a persistent pulse of earthquakes - sometimes only minutes apart. The sensation of these earthquakes were incredible. At first, from silence, there would appear an incredibly low, sine-like tone. As this tone began to crescendo, it would be accompanied by an ever-increasing vibration. These vibrations would then become visceral as the building shook (there are a slew of outtakes where this is audible as well as the accompanying “goddamnit”). With the epicenter located a 30 minute drive from Reykjavík, one could visualize the initial grinding of tectonic plates and the subsequent, earth-rattling waves emanating from the volcanic center. For John, feeling these rolling vibrations unconsciously shaped the music of Mundanas VII-XI.

The parallels between this experience and the music are unambiguous - two contrabass clarinets emanating low, sine-like tones with shifting harmonics activated by these rumbling swells. When these two contrabass clarinets are combined, there emerges a wave of combinatorial frequencies - an acoustic stream of sound almost tactile. All this said, there exists an orchestra of sound waiting to be observed as the listener goes deeper.

This forty-five minute document exhibits John McCowen & Madison Greenstone at a height of ensemble entanglement - operating as a singular organism. The record has a unified aura from beginning to end - variations on a theme - silence to culmination and back. The music is more akin to the rolling waves of tectonic activity than to McCowen’s more strident works. This showcases the performers ability to remain placid with an ability to shimmer and sonically multiply at a moment’s notice.