"Although Brent and I have know each other for years, performed on each other's pieces, written works for each other, and played within the same ensembles, until the first AMODA Performance Series, we had never written a piece together. We enjoyed it so much, we decided to write a complimentary work. The first work (august) employed a modified rondo form with an inverted climax pattern, focusing on spectral interplays between the electronics and bass, complex timbres creating combination tones, and the contrasting of dry and treated field recordings relating to white noise. september makes use of similar elements (field recordings, white noise, combination tones, timbral interplay) but with a completely different form...in many ways it acts as a polarization of august's elements and design." -Bill Thompson

The Gates Ensemble is an electro-acoustic ensemble formed in September 2001 to realize the piece Gates, for which the ensemble was eventually named. The piece involved free improvisation within the context of strict entrance and exit times. Since its inception, Gates has had a somewhat fluid membership. As of the time of this recording, Gates consisted of Brent Fariss, Jacob Green, Holland Hopson, Bill Thompson, Josh Ronsen, and Travis Weller. Past members have included David Drew, Afshar Kharat, Clark Crawford, and others.

mu was created last year as an installation. it involved designing several tracks of sine wave bass tones that were, for the most part, below the pitch threshold of human hearing. the sine waves were designed to randomly rise and fall in frequency and were played by three cd players set at random. the players were connected to speakers aimed at the underside of a prepared grand piano. as the frequency of various bass tones crossed and resonated with the strings of the piano, sympathetic vibrations would occur causing the piano to play arcs of sound rolling up and down the prepared strings. the title mu is a japanese zen term roughly translated to 'nothingness' or 'emptiness'. it does not translate well since it implies that any linguistic expression limits its true meaning. it was chosen as the title for that reason, in that any other title for the installation seemed to color/limit the experience of the piece.

Prepared piano resonated by subharmonic frequencies.

"Shining White Air featured brass, winds, a vibraphone and live electronic processing in a presentation by composer Brent Fariss. This meditative, slow piece began with a play on the harmonies and textures found within the instruments. The tension in the ensemble came not from what was played, but what was not, until the sound broke. Then the agitated harmonies erupted into new directions, but found a sort of resolve and were calmed. The vibraphone was both struck and bowed and the listener was deposited into a new, eerie realm at the end. " -Kerry Payne, Rank and Review Magazine

Bill Thompson - guitar, electronics, percussion, flutes
Brent Fariss - contrabass, electronics, CDs
David Drew - electronics
Jacob Green - oboe, organ
Josh Ronsen - prepared guitar, powerbook

Recorded 9/19/01

Afshar Kharat - violin
Dr. Russell Riepe - piano on Sonata No. 1
Brent Fariss - piano, electronics

Homage to New York was written in honor of the composers of the New York School. It includes samples from the works of John Cage, Earle Brown, Christian Wolff, Morton Feldman, and David Tudor. The samples from each composer are roughly equal in combined length, and were all altered to a greater or lesser degree, while still retaining their identity. They were chosen in consideration of composer representation, recognizability, level of homogeneity/contrast, and compositional pliability. The alterations include various effects such as pitch-shifting, panning, ring modulation, and other editing techniques. Effects were chosen in light of the possibilities of each track playing against itself and other tracks. This work, of course, would not have been possible without the music written by the New York School, or their influence on me and modern music in general. Check out their music the next time you're at the cd store. -Bill Thompson