ALLEN, CORY - THE GREAT ORDER (LP)

"The closer I pay attention to our world, the more I see how its all woven together. One of the most beautiful things about our universe, is the universe itself. Our reality is infinitely complex, yet held together by simple self-organizing systems. Its the flow of all things, flowing together in small clusters, which all flow together as one large organism. In a common form we can observe those clusters as schools of fish, a herd of mammals, or a gust of wind blowing leaves from a tree. With no guidance but matter, our universe generates patterns of sublime grace, leaving us with a beautiful spontaneous order in which we spend our lives. I've been working for a few years to replicate these systems musically. 'Hearing is Forgetting' was an early attempt, and different subtle approaches arose throughout my work since then. In 2011, I composed the rule-based work, 'The Great Order' and the system really came to life. The score called for performers to play only notes from a pre-determined pitch pool and follow written instructions that focused on a philosophical approach to playing. The performers were instructed to play any note from the pitch pool, in any octave, for one of four predetermined lengths of time. They were instructed to listen to negative space, not play louder or softer than the rest of the ensemble, arrive and depart gently, create a meditative environment, and many other similar guidelines. Following these instructions, and performing each movement live in the studio as an ensemble (with no computer, overdubs or metronome) created a truly organic and natural breathing system of sound. The ensemble is the herd, the flock, the school. Each instrument's voice is the mammal, the fish, the bird, with its own life and story. The sound, like an animal, has only its intuition and natural vibrance to help it fit into the herd where it belongs. All of these energies flowing separately yet together as one, create what we understand as our world. Through our simple act of existence we create our own infinitely majestic structure. The Great Order." (C.Allen) recommended