Audiovisual Collaboration: The Dark at the End of the Tunnel

Posted on October 17, 2023 by John C.S. Keston

This is the last in a series of live audiovisual collaborations with Chris LeBlanc and Shawna Lee. The performance was captured at at the Lakely in the Oxbow Hotel, Eau Claire, Wisconsin (https://www.theoxbowhotel.com/lakely/) on September 30, 2023.

Chris LeBlanc and Shawna Lee produced live visuals using their integrated, modular video synthesis systems as I performed. This piece titled, Dark at the End of the Tunnel, is an electro-acoustic piano composition. In this adaptation I used a a stage piano, but the processing and accompaniment are as they would be if the piece were performed on an acoustic instrument.

Please take a look at Chris’ (@blindprophet) and Shawna’s (@iamadot) Instagram feeds to see more of their work.

Audiovisual Collaboration: Chris LeBLanc & Shawna Lee, Part 2

Posted on October 12, 2023 by John C.S. Keston

Chris and Shawna produced live visuals using their integrated, modular video synthesis systems as I performed. This as yet untitled piece is driven by morphing drums and sequences on the Dirtywave M8 tracker. I also improvised parts on the Osmose Expressive E and the Numa X Piano GT.

This is the second in a series of live audiovisual collaborations with Chris LeBlanc and Shawna Lee. The performance was captured at at the Lakely in the Oxbow Hotel, Eau Claire, Wisconsin on September 30, 2023. Chris and Shawna produced live visuals using their integrated, modular video synthesis systems as I performed. This as yet untitled piece is driven by morphing drums and sequences on the Dirtywave M8 tracker. I also improvised parts on the Numa X Piano GT and the Osmose Expressive E.

Please take a look at Chris’ (@blindprophet) and Shawna’s (@iamadot) Instagram feeds to see more of their work.

Bloodline: The Central Planes

Posted on November 29, 2021 by John C.S. Keston

<a target="_blank" href="https://codymckinney.bandcamp.com/album/the-central-planes" >the central planes by Bloodline</a>

November 8, 2021 marked the debut release from the trio Bloodline (Cody McKinney, Peter Hennig, and myself). The album was recorded in December, 2016 – a foreboding moment just before the world was plunged into the chaos of neo-nationalist politics. It took five years of sporadic listening, discussing, editing, mixing, and mastering to finally release it. Despite the delays, the music is just as relevant to me now as it was then.

Largely based on a series of graphic scores titled, Grocery List, by Cody McKinney The Central Planes is a raw, visceral, free, and exhilarating journey into the unknown. My endless gratitude goes out to Peter Henning and Cody McKinney for including me in this grand experiment, Steve Kaul for ingeniously engineering these weird sessions at Wild Sound Studio, Adam Krinsky for his tirelessly creative mixing, Huntley Miller for his expert mastering, and _you_ for daring to listen.

Bloodline is:
Peter Hennig (drums, cymbals, percussion, prepared piano)
John CS Keston (Rhodes, Piano, synth, electronics, prepared piano)
Cody McKinney (bass, vocals, electronics, various noisemakers, prepared piano)

Recorded at Wild Sound Studio, NE Minneapolis MN – December 2016
Engineered by Steve Kaul
Mixed at Bellows Studio, St Paul – Summer 2021
Mix Engineer – Adam Krinsky
Mastered by Huntly Miller at HM Mastering
Album art – John CS Keston

Parochial Dissonance by John C.S. Keston

Posted on December 7, 2020 by John C.S. Keston

<a target="_blank" href="https://aethersound.bandcamp.com/album/parochial-dissonance" >Parochial Dissonance by John C.S. Keston</a>

Parochial Dissonance (Æther Sound, Dec. 4, 2020) – The title of this release describes the tragedy, loss, and suffering experienced when we narrow the scope of our worldviews. The album is a series of solo pieces captured from three streaming performances during the COVID-19 pandemic, and two live performances just before. Each piece was improvised within sets of rules applied to process, time, texture, and tonality. The pieces were performed on various synthesizers and Rhodes electric piano with occasional use of looping, arpeggiation, and signal processing. Continue reading for a look at the liner notes. Continue reading →

Sound / Simulacra: DeVon Gray & Patrick Pegg Recordings

Posted on February 8, 2019 by John C.S. Keston

On December 27, 2017 Sound / Simulacra featured DeVon Russell Gray and Patrick Pegg. DeVon and Patrick started of the evening with an uninterrupted 38:10 minute set of acoustic piano and esoteric electronics. In the second set Cody McKinney (bass and electronics) and I (Rhodes and Moog Sub 37) joined the duo to perform a 34:09 minute piece followed by final 8:47 minute piece in closing.