A Vast Absence is a work for one or more gongs, electronics, feedback loops, and resonant spaces that Aaron Michael Butler has been performing in dive bars, bowling alleys, art galleries, parking garages, and the Detroit Symphony Cube since 2016. In the work the inner resonances and harmonics of gongs are amplified and layered into an immersive ambient environment creating a deep listening environment in which audiences are asked to simply zone out. In this iteration of the work Aaron is joined by microphonists and feedback wizards David Stanford and Michael Shannon.
John Teske will present a new solo work to open the concert.
Yoga mats, pillows, blankets, or whatever will allow you to listen in comfort are recommended.
Aaron Michael Butler is a percussionist, composer, and educator based in Seattle. His work often deals in static textures, repetition, durational stamina, resonance, and psychoacoustic effects.
David Stanford is a musician and sound artist utilizing feedback and amplified objects to create landscapes ranging from minuscule to storm-like. He currently is a member of feedback-based electronics trio Gyre, graphic score group Eye Music, and plays in duos with Michael Shannon, Carl Lierman, and John Teske. For the past several years he has focused on performing in outdoor locations such as beaches, forests, and decommissioned coastal defense bunkers.
Michael Shannon is a sound/recording artist, musician, photographer, and performer of experimental media based in Seattle. He began performing in the punk clubs of San Francisco in the late 1970’s evolving performance and sound designs through various venues and media specializing in the use of a variety of string instruments from Asia, field recordings, percussion, sound objects, electro-acoustic strings, and electronics. Since relocating to Seattle, he has provided music and sound for performances by dancers Yoko Murao, Joan Laage/Kogut Butoh, Helen Thorsen, and Shoko Zama. He is presently a member of Seattle-based performing/recordings groups Gyre, Eye Music, Aono Jikken Ensemble, and performs as a duo with David Stanford.
John Teske is a Seattle-based composer, improviser, and double bassist. He has written contemporary concert music for soloists, small ensembles, and chamber orchestras which have been performed across the Americas and Europe. Teske’s compositional approach balances intentional composition with spontaneous expression. He uses algorithmic techniques to generate scores and musical systems that incorporate chance, variation, and improvisation. He experiments with distilling musical concepts to their essence and aims to write music that can be performed by any ensemble of instruments. Teske’s work has been supported by organizations such as the Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, the Jack Straw Foundation, and the City of Seattle.