New York-based trombone virtuoso Nelson Foltz and Berlin-based sound artist Tom Lynn announced the release of Still Life – volume one. This is the first installment in a planned series of instrumental compositions utilizing acoustic instruments and creative sound design to create a unique blend of fourth world/ambient/world and jazz influences.
The first track of still life - volume one was motivated by a desire to create music with a slow pace that unfolds organically rather than through determined forms. The music dictates the progression through time and it ultimately abandons most traditional formal musical elements. The piece grows out of silence and blends 35 minutes of music into a seamless whole.
Traditional western harmonic movement is replaced with drones in two tonalities and rhythmic and melodic developments are subtle and slow moving. This provides the listener with a space of 'estrangement' from musical preconceptions allowing for deeper, non-critical listening. Another key element of this feeling of newness is the sound palette which utilizes a small collection of acoustic instruments in unique ways, giving a sense of both familiarity and mystery.
The second track is a fifteen minute drone, based on the overtone series in A, which strips the musical elements down even deeper to their essence. It is a pure exploration of sound lacking all traditional melodic, rhythmic and harmonic development. The piece seems to be ever changing due to shifting timbres and tonal balances. Repeated listening can reveal layers of sonic interaction previously unnoticed. This drone is intended to prolong the sense of contemplation and reflection one can experience at the end of the first track.