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Press
"a tough,
intense work" "The electric guitar
corner was represented by David Beardsley's atmospheric "Around D"
— operative word "around." Beardsley played his maxi-fretted guitar
through a volume pedal, a looping device and other effects to create swirling
layers of meditative droning. Throbbing close tones made it a vibration-oriented
experience." -
Josef Woodard "Beardsley sculpts
tones into overpowering moods...In the 17th century it was widely believed
that certain musical intervals had built-in emotional connotations: the minor
sixth sorrowful, the major seventh yearning. Atonal modernists tried to
pretend that that was all superstition, but music like Beardsley's brings the
whole issue up again in powerful terms. Why was that squeezed minor ninth so
sinister, and why was its resolution down to the major seventh such a
cathartic release—as much of a release as the newly cleansed final theme of
any Beethoven symphony? Such austere music isn't
for everyone - clearly - but in its glacial tension and release it offered
the essential outlines of symphonic form, stripped of surface detail. And in
such pure tunings, the dissonant elements that, in Mozart, merely resolve
politely, here actually shake the walls and demand resolution." -
Kyle Gann "David Beardsley (of
New York) plays a short piece of humming, layered tones on his densely
fretted electric guitar, bravely competing with the cashieress,
who, oblivious, loudly closes down the register. Pissed at her, but we like
Beardsley." Tony
Mostrom
Downtown
Music Gallery
- Tom Ritchford Reviews for Sonic Bloom: "Phenomenal is one
thought. Deep modern meditation tool is another." Pat Pagano,
dir. Southeast Just Intonation Society, Gainesville, Fl. *
* * "This release brings
up a range of feelings and emotions within me, for what
ever reasons, but in terms of interesting releases for 1999, it rates
with many a great recording I have been fortunate enough to have heard. " Hans Stoeve,
Power Spot 89.7FM, Sydney, Australia *
* * "It's fundamentally
static, but I can listen to literally hours of the stuff..." Joseph Pehrson,
Composers Concordance, NYC. |
