Big thanks to the @ojaimusicfestival@wildup and everyone who participated in Sound Unseen last weekend. Chris and I feel blessed to be able to work with such an incredible team to bring this experience to the Ojai.
The audience was divided into groups of four and seated in curtained off circular pods. The room went dark and the musicians moved around room, weaving throughout the pods, unseen by the audience. This created an immersive surround sound experience. After eight minutes, lighting performers created a live analog light show on the curtains by shining flashlights on dichroic sculptures.
The composer @mattie_barbier created a beautiful score based on a room tone recording of the space. The musicians built up a wonderful soundscape that filled the room.
The musicians -
Mattie Barbier, euphonium
M.A. Tiesenga, baritone sax @tiesenga
Brian Walsh, bass clarinet @bwalsh333
Andrew McIntosh, violin @septimalcomma
Linnea Powell, viola
Ashley Walters, cello
Lighting performers -
Elizabeth Del Nagro @elizabethdelnagro
John Fonteyn @john_fonteyn
Bhagvati Khalsa @bhagvati.khalsa
Noah Sittig
Alexa Brenes
Penny Herscovitch
Dan Gottlieb
@padlab Will Thomas
#ojaimusicfestival
#experimentalmusic
#newmusic
#dichroic
#soundart
Thank you for being part of Sound Unseen with our Black Barn Session friends, Chris Hacker and Will Thomas (@willneutral ).
Your open ears and open hearts truly shaped the experience as the @wildup artists and lighting performers created a transcendent sonic landscape.
Your presence, spirit of curiosity, and openness to adventure inspires us to keep pushing musical boundaries and makes this kind of bold, immersive work possible!
#SoundUnseen #WildUp #BlackBarnSessions #CreativeLab #ImmersiveMusic #Ojai
Had a blast on the one and twos at Radio Roma in Ojai. Great vibe, superb sound.
Thanks to all the friendly faces who came out and to the great peeps at RR! Yet another reason why we love Ojai. 🖤🖤
@radioromaojai
Back at the Chichu Museum on Naoshima island for the seventh and final audio/visual postcard from Japan. The building is primarily underground with openings to the sky allowing only natural light into the galleries.
The unassuming yet dramatic entrance is this hallway - one of the many beautiful Tadao Ando details.
Thx for joining my sonic journey of some Japanese art and architecture.
@benesse_artsite
#tadaoando
#artisland
#modernarchitecture
#ambientmusic
#modularsynth
For the sixth audio/visual postcard we hop over to the Osaka Expo in the Blue Ocean pavilion designed by Shigeru Ban. Made from Bamboo, paper tubes and carbon fiber the center dome contains a giant hemispherical screen. To my eyes it was a 30 foot high woofer.
@osaka.expo.2025
#osakaexpo
#shigeruban
#modernarchitecture
#Japan
#moogsemimodular
#ambientmusic
#modularsynth
#blueoceandome
Fifth in the audio/visual postcard series is another Art House Project - Kadoya - with “Naoshima’s Counter Window” by Tatsuo Miyajima.
A digital display on the window changes while the sunlight casts the numbers on the floor of the 200 year old Japanese house. One of our favorite moments on Naoshima island.
@benesse_artsite
#naoshima
#tatsuomiyajima
#artisland
#Japan
#moogsemimodular
#ambientmusic
#modularsynth
Fourth in the series of audio/visual postcards - the Art House Project “Ishibashi” in Honmura village on Naoshima island, Japan.
A traditional Japanese house transformed with one of Hiroshi Senju’s “Waterfall” paintings beautifully lining the walls of a dark room with minimal natural light.
I recently recorded the sound of a dump truck pouring gravel onto our driveway. To me, it sounded like a waterfall…
#naoshima
#hiroshisenju
#artisland
#Japan
#ambientmusic
#modularsynth
This third audio/visual postcard from the stunning Benesse Art Museum designed by Tadao Ando on Naoshima island, Japan.
In the large central room is “One Hundred Live and Die” by Bruce Nauman. Sounds from the @moogsynthesizers Labyrinth
@benesseartsite
#brucenauman
#tadaoando
#naoshima
#benesseartsite
#artisland
#modernarchitecture
#Japan
#moogsemimodular
#ambientmusic
#modularsynth
Second in a series of audio/visual postcards from @benesse_artsite Naoshima island, Japan. This is an art piece by Yayoi Kusama called ‘Narcissus Garden’ from 1966. Hundreds of reflective metal spheres are installed inside and outside - even floating freely in a lake - at the Valley Gallery designed by Tadao Ando. Spot my reflection x100.
#yayoikusuma
#tadaoando
#naoshima
#artisland
#modernarchitecture
#Japan
#moogsemimodular
#benesseartsite
#ambientmusic
#modularsynth
#valleygallery
Wrote some music for a series of audio/visual postcards from my recent trip to Japan’s art island of Naoshima - @benesse_artsite
This one is the triangular courtyard of the Chichu Art Museum designed by Tadao Ando. Stark concrete with a slanted wall and mounds of Japanese limestone pieces on the ground. The museum is built underground and houses only three artists - Claude Monet, Walter De Maria & James Turrell.
#tadaoando
#naoshima
#benesseartsite
#artisland
#modernarchitecture
#Japan
#moogsemimodular
#chichuartmuseum
#ambientmusic
#modularsynth
Hanging out with the legendary composer and sound artist Annea Lockwood during the rehearsal of “Bayou-Borne” at the Ojai Music Festival.
Plus the illustration of bayous near Houston used as the graphic score. Beautiful piece!
And then a shot of Claire Chase at the end of her performance of Liza Lim’s “Sex Magic”. What an incredible festival! And so wonderful to see all the peeps we interviewed for the podcast. ❤️❤️
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
@ojaimusicfestival
#ojaifestival #annealockwood #graphicscores
I’ve had the immense pleasure of producing OJAICAST the podcast for the Ojai Music Festival (June 5-8) Four episodes available now featuring interviews with Annea Lockwood, Marcos Balter, Liza Lim, Jay Campbell, Leilehua Lanzilotti and this year’s music director and incredible flutist Claire Chase.
For hosting duties I brought on my friend/neighbor/artist/author Christopher Noxon and we had a blast chatting with such amazing talent. Many of the composers will be at the festival this year! I included some music clips to get a taste.
It’s going to be an exceptional festival lineup. 👍👍🎶🎶 @noxonart@ojaimusicfestival@clairechaseflute@annezilotti@autocellic@lizalimcomposer@marcosbalter
#ojaimusicfestival #ojaicast #clairechase #contemporarymusic #newmusic #ojaifestival2025
