Craig Pedersen Quintet - Approaching the Absence of Doing (MYSTERY AND WONDER 2017)

“A taut work in which composition and improvisation engage almost violently at times, the music winning.” Stuart Broomer, Point of Departure

Drawing influence from the work of Cecil Taylor, Joane Hetu, Joe McPhee, David S. Ware and John Coltrane, the Craig Pedersen Quintet’s Approaching the Absence of Doing is a 7-part suite ranging from full-out intensity to the near-pastoral. Rapid fire trumpet lines, wailing saxophone squeals, punching bass articulation, and duel pummelling drums serve to push and pull against Pedersen’s compositions. This is music that often sounds like it’s falling apart and being put back together, only to fall apart again - held together by the indisputable fact that this band works together as a tight unit.

Formed in 2011, the Craig Pedersen Quartet came together to perform the compositions of Montréalbased trumpeter Craig Pedersen. Approaching the Absence of Doing saw the unorthodox addition of a second drummer.

Recorded by Howard Bilerman at Montréal’s iconic Hotel2Tango, mixed by Mark Molnar, and mastered by Harris Newman. The LP and CD jacket were designed by Bennett Bedoukian at Oh!

Underworld, and the LP pressed at Canada’s own Precision Pressing in an edition of 300.

Track listing:

1. Intervention (4:01)

2. Part 1 (1:11)

3. Blowing (4:44)

4. F-ery (3:51)

5. Introduction (4:33)

6. Part 2 (6:14)

7. Approaching (4:04)

Craig Pedersen, trumpet

Linsey Wellman - alto saxophone

Joel Kerr - double bass

Bennett Bedoukian - drums

Eric Thibodeau - drums

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Craig Pedersen - Solo Trumpet (MYSTERY AND WONDER 2017)

Setting out to work with clarity of musical and human values, openness to the mystery of something bigger than himself and the desire to explore the relationship between these values and specific musical languages, Craig Pedersen’s Solo Trumpet (2016) presents two short pieces condensed from months of ongoing solo practice and performance.

Borne out of research into the expressive qualities of semi-fixed musical languages, with Side A exploring silence, held notes, timbre and slow movement, and Side B exploring a particular combination of trumpet mute technique, half-valving and articulation, there was also clear intention to share in some of the qualities that moved him in the work of the great American guitarist, Loren Connors.

From this practice came works that he notes, “I don’t recall trying to specifically create.” In many ways, months of work came to fruition in a beautiful, tiny, unexpected way.

Recorded and mixed by Craig Pedersen, and mastered by Harris Newman, the jacket was designed and handprinted by Popolo Press, and pressed at Canada’s own Precision Pressing in an edition of 165.

Track listing:

Side A

Side B

Craig Pedersen

all music by Craig Pedersen

recorded and mixed by Craig Pedersen, November 2016.

Mastered by Harris Newman at Greymarket Mastering

Printing and design by Popolo Press

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Sound of the Mountain (Amplified Clarinet & Trumpet) MYSTERY AND WONDER 2017

“..like wind, far away, but with a depth like a rumbling of the earth.” from Yusanari Kawabata’s “The Sound of the Mountain”

A duo featuring the hollowed-out sounds of Elizabeth Millar and Craig Pedersen on amplified clarinet and trumpet, Sound of the Mountain comes from a strong history of improvisation and extended performance techniques, offering their audience long-form deep listening experiences through the sculpting of vitalized breath.

Drawing influence from the works of Pauline Oliveros, Keiji Haino, Toshimaru Nakamura, and Isabelle Duthoit and Franz Hautzinger, Sound of the Mountain’s debut album Amplified Clarinet & Trumpet evokes a vast range of textures, from silence and spaciousness to rumbling bass and saturation. The duo works with closely-mic’d instruments and minimal equalization, avoiding the use of effects pedals and loops, such that their constant physical attention drives the music. The whistles and creaking of metal and reed anticipate the more dense moments of distortion and feedback in pieces that can be appreciated as discreet moments, or longer forms.

Recorded by Thierry Amar at Montréal’s iconic Hotel2Tango, mixed by Sound of the Mountain, and mastered by Harris Newman, the LP and CD jacket were designed and handprinted by Popolo Press, and the LP pressed at Canada’s own Precision Pressing in an edition of 300.

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $153 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country. Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. L’an dernier, le Conseil a investi 153 millions de dollars pour mettre de l’art dans la vie des Canadiennes et des Canadiens de tout le pays.

Track listing:

LP:

Side A (18:10)

Side B (15:56)

CD / Digital:

1. A-Part 1 (4:15)

2. A-Part 2 (4:49)

3. A-Part 3 (9:06)

4. B-Part 1 (9:09)

5. B-Part 2 (6:47)

Sound of the Mountain is:

Elizabeth Millar, amplified clarinet

Craig Pedersen, amplified trumpet

Available on 12-inch vinyl, CD and high-quality digital download.

Packaging designed and letterpressed by Kiva Stimac at Popolo press.

recorded by Thierry Amar at Hotel2Tango

mixed by Sound of the Mountain

mastered by Harris Newman at Greymarket Mastering

All music by Sound of the Mountain

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Sound of the Mountain 2017 from Sound of the Mountain on Vimeo.