nada is an invitation to meditate with the sounds of the five elements, to heal body and mind with the songs from streams and rivers, from wind and trees, with harmonies that we intuitively relate to. this meditation practice highlights the relation between elements and emotions and our close connection to nature.
sculpted from the sounds of natural elements, these listening meditations are electroacoustic performances that draw from many years of practice as a composer and improviser, from qi gong, buddhist practice and meditation.
with the practice of mindfulness of listening, one is invited to reflect on perceptions, thoughts and reactions, on our connection to the elements internally and externally, as we delve deep into the observation of subtle sensations. all key aspects of buddhist meditation are integrated into this one practice, so there is no multiplicity of approaches.
the narratives that unfold, following the natural movements of the recordings, and the changes in mood during the performance keep the listener engaged while the live processing that playfully reshape known sounds may incite close attention conducive to meditative states of concentration.
another important aspect of the work is the use of resonant frequencies found in natural sounds, especially selecting and sculpting tonalities used in sound and vibrational therapy. it is like a gong bath, but using healing frequencies from nature: the harmonies are specific to a time and place, and the element recorded.
each performance is unique as i intuitively select the aesthetic, atmosphere and tonalities i use moment to moment. improvisation as approach and method allows me to adapt what sounds i use, what resonance to focus on, so the music flows and connects with the audience.
i offer these performances as livestreams on the bandcamp platform in a series called nada, so that people can meditate in the comfort of their home.
i am also available to travel to buddhist, meditation, yoga centres, etc. who are willing to accommodate such events for groups of experienced meditators.
technical details:
i use 1 performance laptop + usb audio interface optional x2 microphones and mike stands [when using a collection of meditation bowls and bells, etc.] 1 streaming laptop + usb mixer h5 zoom recorder multiplug extension cable, misc connectivity
required from venue power or extension cable to the performance area low table and meditation seat amplification – high quality stereo speakers, able to reproduce a high range of frequencies and wide stereo image [i can bring suitable speakers if needed, tbc]. possible multichannel diffusion via ADAT additional – table or support for streaming laptop stable wi-fi internet access for live stream
contact:
nexttimerv_at_hotmail_dot_com
reviews:
“I found this work intriguing and at times beguiling […] and I realised that by having more to pay attention to, my meditation sessions could be sustained for a longer time by Hervé’s listening meditations”
It’s been a magical experience, following you in this sound journey, deeply listening with open heart and ears. Lukas M – audience member
* Hervé’s live improvisations transport you onto a journey which is at once sensorially relaxing and awakening. Through his unique use of texture, rhythm and space he is able to keep the audience on their toes whilst grounding them into an uninterrupted state of flow from start to finish. A powerful sonic experience! Lorenzo P – audience member
*
Thoroughly enjoyed falling back into the really clear three dimensional soundscape. Dave P – audience member
*
These are absolutely magic journeys for drifting off… Thanks for the calming moments. Phil I – audience member
The long awaited new album by Inclusion Principle is here. Reading the promotional text, i realise that it has been five years since the release of our third album. This was a difficult one to top. We loved this work so much. And it has been a tradition in the group to allow each album to mature, to grow organically. Even though we do not generally speak much about the music contents – as hardcore improv cats… aherm… we do spend some time speaking about aesthetics, and process.
This new album was one like this; we have discused for a long time the different possibilities, how to approach recording, and the general vibe. In the meantime, Peter, our drummer stopped playing live. And so the band returned to its original formation – Martin and Hervé side to side, proving that Pauli was not even wrong when two similar systems share the same space. Brandishing saxes and laptops, the duo is back on the road with their unpredictable and yet recognisable sound. Another major thing has changed. It is the period of time that will be marked in calendars for all eternity. It is the lockdown. And for a group whose work is deeply grounded in improvisation and deep listening, the file sharing and social distancing imposed is quite a challenge. And since i had taken over the role of editing, arranging, and constructing tracks from long improvisations for album three, it made sense that i would be assembling this album too, here at nexTTime studios. This time though, we do not have much pre-recorded material, and the process for this album is yet again different. Only one session in Martin’s studio gets recycled and reworked into two tracks than open and close the album. The rest is all brand new and recorded separately in each other’s studios and composed at nexTTime hub.
Lately, i have been shifting my sound palette and started using Ableton Live, mostly for beats. The approach we used for the latest gigs, such as the multichannel diffusion at No Bounds features in several of these new tracks, propelling the group further into electronics. And this is one point which is very different from all we have done before; the instruments are becoming more prominent and clearly stated. The abstraction and field recordings are of course central, but now, acoustic instruments and electronic elements are coming out of the soundscape and stand their own. And yes, we have some grooves. And we have some melody. We even take solos. If you have been following the work of the group, you will know how much work goes into the aesthetic and coherent work of the group in acting as one mind, one sound, and that most of the time saxophones and even drums merge into the electronics, field recordings, and abstract soundscapes, only to emerge occasionally as ‘traditional’ instruments. Here, arising from the timbres, textures and gestures, we have chords, rhythms that can even be counted if you so wish, and we have saxes weaving melodies. We even have sections of unison and dueting written on paper. Yes, you read it right. Written on paper.
At the same time, electronics are more abstract and shift towards noise. Martin is into processing samples (mostly featuring drums and percussions recorded by our friend Walt Shaw). Some tracks leave more space for the near transparent, the very fragile and subtle field recordings, the sound sculptures that reveal the hidden harmony of natural elements. Birds punctuate the infinite skies, and the elements texture and ring amongst all other sounds. It is a full palette, an entire architecture of vibrations intricately compounded. The instrumentation symbolically stands for different platforms, different realms, all interacting and communicating as one unity.
It is of course the Inclusion Principle sound. Constantly and naturally evolving. And we love it.
We are so very pleased to present to you ‘the 4, the 8, the 10’
Reviews
After five years without a recording, [Martin Archer], along with sound sculptor and woodwind player Hervé Perez, has chosen to reignite their Inclusion Principle duo on disc. Both players’ love of woodwind and also of electronic experimentation finds them merging the two for some highly unexpected results. Using material that they had originally developed for live concerts, they have turned them into a set of sprawling soundscapes that evoke images both familiar and unfamiliar, often leading us on solitary journeys that open our ears and eyes on The 4, The 8, The 10.
It is a lonely wail of an intro that opens the album and finds the two horn players turning easy circles around one another. The different tones make for a soothing but excited dance. There is a sultry air that is aided by snatches of birdsong. The bluff electronics and scuffling skips hold a beat, while the horns soar and skitter in the breeze. It is an interesting combo, with the insistence of the scuffed beats holding to the earth and pushing the horns on to further acrobatics in the air. The sopranino is as high as a kite at times, a lonely scream.
There is a variance across the pieces here of how much the horns are used. The IDM vibe of “Intermediate Space”, with its typewriter key tones, is like a duet for electronic tinkering. I can imagine the two of them trying to see what sits with what and how much they can push the boundaries. The horns are just snippets, reminders of another era, embellishing the staccato pulses and revelling in one another’s company.
Martin and Hervé seem to be searching for drama and intrigue amongst the space and quiet interludes of “Arising And Passing Away”, where the pace is slowed considerably and the sparse glimmer of stars is shaken up by a barrage of harshness; a juxtaposition that you really feel and which takes you into the almost hornless supernatural rustle of “Gentle Persuasion” with its static, space, silence and an aura of mysterious activity. This goes way beyond the preceding pieces, reductive to a point of abstract soundscape. It is like a half-glimpsed territory, with tension in the barely registered sounds; but it moves with an uncanny grace like a heat-seeking predator. Here though, the shakahuchi does lend an Eastern feel to the drama.
The industrial beat and wild woodwind of “Object Of Refutation” has vocals that bring to mind a native ceremony glimpsed from afar, but later almost verges on bop territory, such is the ground that these two cover. The final section is a suite of pieces that stand like a portal between two worlds, its slow build and stately beats harbouring feedback and long notes that sound edgy and strange. The electronics duel like gunfighters in a narrow mountain pass with ricochets galore. It is noticeably more hectic, but leads into a kind of limbo with sparse hints of memory.
Behind every sinuous horn there is a jostling, glitchy, uneven beat. Somehow it works, rolling from one cold to one warm scene, always awaiting fresh input, be it repetitive echoes, time warps or unfamiliar motif stretches. It moves into a shadow of the past, the subterranean beat resounding through a ghostly world; and then pulses to a standstill, leaving you breathless that so much has happened. – Mr Olivetti, FREQ
A lengthy three-part suite ‘Ornament of Light’, which explores the “resonant space” is the pinnacle of the album and is characteristic of the pair’s live performance. The drone and beats with a suggestion of melody by the sax on parts one leads to a demonstrative passage as the ‘jazz’ emerges from the electronica; similarly on the 20 minute second part, where glitchy beats accompany echoing organ and sustained sax; there is flute to come, and again the last few minutes are climactic, as the entwining beats and saxes perform a weird ‘dance’; the denouement is more trancelike. I really enjoyed the contrast between the tranquil beats, bird call and other ‘found sounds’ and atmospheric shimmering synths with eruptions of motile sax and also the suspenseful quality of the music. ‘The 4, The 8, The 10’ is an accomplished, meditative listening experience. – Phil Jackson, ACID DRAGON
This duet has history; they’ve worked together on other projects but the two person Inclusion Principle is nonetheless a rarity.
The album is as titled, ‘inclusive’. Both Mr Archer and Mr Perez play soprano saxophones. Martin Archer has other horns too, plus his keyboards and software. Hervé Perez contributes alto sax and shakuhachi (Japanese wooden flute) along with programming/electro beats. It matters not who is responsible for what. I set aside my usual practice of focusing on individuals; just let the sound coalesce in my head.
Although the 4, the 8, the 10 is divided up into tracks; hear it as a whole. The opening three minutes is a mesmeriser. Two horns perfectly attuned to each other in every sense. So much so it took me a little while to get beyond those first three minutes; constantly switching back to the beginning before being willing to give them up. They’re a slow, sensuous prelude and delivered like a balancing act.
Eventually I took the journey. Through beats and bird song, spindly drones held like hums; there are places on this audio that are almost visual. (I’d recommend listening to it in the dark. If audio could give off light this is surely an example.)
At around twenty-seven minutes the soundscape opens up to ‘treated’ ambient percussion. Within the sparse cover art there’s a short quote from a Sarva Buddhist text: “Space has no abode… you are free of any point of reference.” A parallel translation could be “free of description”. This approach would mitigate written review. The idea being, if our ears take to this album without reference or description the more likely we are to hear what’s being offered.
At the risk of sidestepping such suggestions, the final Ornament of Light section, spreading out over thirty-eight minutes, is for me the clincher. It feels as if it offers up resolution and in the few unplugged moments Archer and Perez arrive in focus. It’s like seeing (hearing) deep sea divers surfacing in real time. A fascinating album. – Steve Day
The events—or, more accurately, nonevents—of these strangest of strange years seems perfectly intertwined in the agony and the ecstasy that is the new Inclusion Principle release. Multi-instrumentalists Martin Archer and Hervé Perez have produced a dichotomy of riches here, a many-headed beast ejecting its sonic effluvia across a landscape of cantilevered dimensions, ominous atmospheres vying with compromised ‘jazz’ tropes that instantly mutate as they appear. Both participant’s varied hornplay acts as analog sinew binding together their determined tunneling through an entire kaleidoscopic forest of digital glossolalia; to be emphatic about it, the album’s overall sound design is simply stunning, aural epiphanies writ large. The ten-minute opening salvo “A Dark Night Ahead of Us” sets the tone, Perez’s alto wails resembling beacons searching for some semblance of normality as they flutter within the piece’s chromatic aviary, Archer’s soprano jostling for attention, juxtaposed against a jabberwocky of soft whispers, blurts and beats. Things take more abstract detours on the subsequent “Intermediate Space”, where the duo trade in the kind of clicks ’n’ cuts Mille Plateaux and Oval made a big deal of decades ago but Archer and Perez embrace with imaginative girth and obvious relish, a slice of cyberjungle fourth-worldism that posits a horde of extraterrestrial natives dancing on the heads of reflective pins. Space is assuredly the place on “Arising and Passing Away”, which engages in faux Tangerine Dream escapades put through the 21st-century laptop ringer, moog bass susurrations marking their territory across a shifting synthetic tundra while flocks of seagulls murmur. All of this seems but prelude to the album’s near-indescribable half-hour-plus conclusion, “Ornament of Light”, Archer and Perez letting their freak flag fly. On this three-part suite, electronic motifs of unnatural origin shiver and shake; planets align and are then thrown off their axes; foghorn calls prowl the event horizon before succumbing in a vacuum of corrosive squelch; timbres like synthetic mercury dribble out of the speaker fabric in anthropomorphic glee. Forbidding, fascinating, this work’s viselike grip on your sensibility is achieved with the first gut-punch exposure, to be finally rubberstamped on memory when you hit ‘repeat’. That a variety of moods are conjured so effectively speaks volumes about how both artists are in sync with their objectives, so clearly vested in the realization of their ideas, so highly attuned to their birthing of new musics that to accompany them on their magical mystery tour is an experience not soon forgotten. – Darren Bergstein, DMG
With “the 4, the 8, the 10”, Inclusion Principle, the duo of Martin Archer and Hervé Perez, present their fourth CD (in addition, there are three live recordings only available for download). Five years have passed since the release of “Third Opening”. From various composition ideas developed for concerts, the pieces to be heard here were created, which were then recorded in the first half of 2021 in Sheffield in Perez’s recording studio.
The drummer Peter Fairclough, who was still involved in the predecessor “Third Opening”, is not to be heard here. Nevertheless, there are various very rhythmic sections, generated by all sorts of pulsating electronic sounds and programmed percussion. Otherwise, electronic sounds, recordings of natural sounds (field recordings), rarely also world music-colored vocal performances (you can hear the beginning of “Object of Refutation”), multi-layered with acoustic instrumental tones (blowers usually – quite a lot of sax, but also clarinet and various flutes) are mixed here. The music therefore sounds sometimes like electric jazz, sometimes like classical electronics, sometimes (mostly) like free sound tinkering and sound painting, somewhere in the border area of ambient and experiment.
In contrast to the predecessor, the more rhythmic or pulsating numbers can be found at the beginning of the collection (which also contain various sections of freer floating), before spherical-experimental sound paintings are created in the second half of the album, i.e. in the long suite “Ornaments of Light”. The same is an impressive, very colorful and densely gliding sound structure, an extended dialogue of the two sound hobbyists, sometimes freely swirling, sometimes mysteriously whispering, sometimes playfully bubbling, sometimes dynamically weighing or jazzing.
“the 4, the 8, the 10” (I have no idea what the title wants to tell us exactly – it’s at least the fourth studio album of the project and there are eight tracks on it) is another excellent work by Discus Music for friends of progressive music making. If you appreciate electronic and jazzy woodwind sounds in a sound-painting-free-format context (and need supplies), you can continue to access them here without hesitation. – Achim Breiling, BabyBlaue
Inclusion Principle is a duo of Martin Archer and Hervé Perez. They started performing in 2006 and have released several CDs so far. Live recordings are available on their own Bandcamp site. Their project is dedicated to combining electronics and electro-acoustic music, jazz and improvisation.
This new recording appears after a five-year silence and has Archer playing sopranino, soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone, clarinet, flute, recorder, chimes, organ, electric piano, synths, software instruments. Hervé is responsible for field recordings, sound design, beats, keys programming. With this broad set of acoustic and electronic instruments, they combine improvisation with ambient and sound-based textures, resulting in an album of eight tracks. The first five titles all have rhythm or pulse driven episodes combined with free-floating textures and solo or duo improvising on saxophone.
Opening track ‘A Dark Night Ahead of Us’ opens with sensitive saxophone-playing by Archer and Perez, accompanied by sparse field recordings of bird calls etc. Halfway, an electronic rhythmic structure is introduced that intensifies the piece. ‘Intermediate Space’ starts as an open spacy soundscape with sparse rhythm-induced sections. In the second part, saxophones add a melodic element that completes the picture. The last three tracks make up one work: ‘Ornament of Light’. The second part I liked most. It has Archer playing the flute, calling from a distance in a thin and spacious ambient ambience.
Near the end, things change into a hectic and dynamic rhythm-based finale. Personally, I’m always a bit ambiguous about projects like these, that are about combining ambient with improvisation. Often they lead to organically and comfortable sounding exercises that do not harm nor bring excitement. In this case, however, one can trace the spirit of exploration. Two experienced musicians who seek to connect different languages, leading up to an album with very worthwhile moments. Dolf Mulder (DM) – VITAL WEEKLY
Sometimes it might be easier to provide a list of instruments that Martin Archer is not playing on a recording, so broad are his musical abilities. And this breadth extends to his imagination of how music can operate, how it can inspire its listeners and how it can create visions of places and events. The cover art for this album, on mist-wrapped trees which are gradually emerging is perfect for the ways in which Archer and Perez develop the pieces here – and, of course, I mean develop as a photographic metaphor of the ways in which an image gradually forms when the prepared sheet in placed in its bath of chemicals. There is so creativity in the management of sounds on this recording that it can be easy to miss the ‘background’ and focus on the instruments duelling in the ‘foreground’. But this is, I think, to miss both the process of the music’s creation and the ways in which these fine musicians work. The ‘background’ is the structure of the piece. The texture of the sounds and the ways in which they merge and split creates the rhythmic, harmonic and emotional core. To this, Archer’s saxophones and other instruments respond; often provoking disturbances to and shifts in the musical texture.
Musically, there are traditions of musique concrete and very early (experimental) synthesizer, but also clear evocations of the free jazz scene in which Archer has played so vital a role. For example, on ‘Intermediate Space’, track 2, layered saxophones play a repeating theme that leads in and out of the busy solo saxophone, all the while electronic beats and bass pulse and ticker to create a groove. It is the mixing of genres and styles which gives the set is unique flavour and the duo do this as readily and easily as they mix and remix sounds. Each musician finds ways to sculpt sounds that become incorporated into your own thoughts and imaginings, pulling you into their soundscapes in ways that will you to become an active participant; although the pieces have elements which have an ‘ambient’ quality that could wash over you, they take pains to introduce unexpected, startling, disturbing changes that jolt you back to attentiveness. You’d expect really good art to be provocative and to stimulate a response – and this set certainly does that.
Having played together for the best part of a decade, Archer and Perez have a well-developed knack for finding mutually intriguing sounds to introduce their creations. Often the introductions, while spontaneous, have the sense of a conversation which, while it might combine different points of view, is being conducted between two friends.
– Chris Baber, Jazzviews
You can stream the music following the Bandcamp link or the player above.
You can purchase the CD directly from Discus music.
is the practice of deep listening, a connection with the spirit of a place.
in a series of solo saxophone recordings, i connect with and explore outdoor acoustics and sacred sites, investigating the nature of space and architecture, natural topography.
drawing inspiration from the location, its environment and soundscape as well as its acoustics, the improvisations move freely between lyrical, harmonic and the more abstracted gestures of contemporary music.
both melody and extended techniques explore the way sounds resonate the space. in turn, the character of the space itself becomes instrumental in shaping the music.
more importantly, the space affects the musical content, as it were, whispering its history into the spontaneous compositions, expressing itself through my instrument.
the recordings made in-situ are documents of a point in time. they are not meant to be perfect studio recordings. they incorporate external sonic events, location sounds, interventions both outside and within the performance. the focus of this project is more on a spiritual connection with a location, and using this deep experience as a very rich catalyst for creativity.
while the music will appeal on the emotional level, the concept of the project offers many levels that will stand up to analysis. acoustics, soundscape, musical contents, the nature of the performance, the voice of the space made manifest and various interactions between all the elements make these recordings a deeply interesting and touching listening experience.
the practice of meditation has become an integral part of the process. it is a means to strengthen the connection to a sense of place, through deep listening. but also, exploring those very creative psychological dimensions, the use of meditative state, becomes an approach to performance.
links:
you will find short extracts that give a survey of the varied acoustics of many locations, where i have recorded, on soundcloud:
if you would like to listen to full tracks, this wordpress site has a section called sounding out. here, the recordings are compiled together in posts relating to specific locations or areas visited over a period of time.
Hervé Perez is a sound artist/composer from France, now based in Sheffield, UK.
Hervé has been composing music and performing live around Europe for over 20 years. Playing solo and in various groups, he draws from jazz, electro-acoustic, contemporary music, experimental electronics, free improvisation, immersive sound art and ancient techniques of sound therapy alike.
Hervé plays the saxophones, shakuhachi and laptop in several groups and many collaborations.
Live performances incl. Huddersfield Week of Speakers, Mantis festival in Manchester, insubordinations microfestival in Switzerland, Sheffield festival of the Mind, Mopomoso at the Vortex London, Megapolis and Dumbo Arts Festivals in New York, Jazz à Luz, Manchester Jazz festival, Marsden Jazz Festival, Out Front, etc.
Following training as a professional photographer, he completed a fine arts degree (Sheffield Hallam University) where he worked on video and sound installations.
Hervé’s research approaches sound as vibration, the relation between sound and objects or spaces, architecture and the body.
His use of field recordings and sound design is concerned with frequencies and harmonic relationships found in nature, how they relate to the physical world, and how the sounds of natural elements connect to our own resonances.
He has developed a very personal way to process and sculpt location recordings to reveal their musical features and maximise resonance with the listener and their experience of sound.
With a focus on collaboration and the immediacy of live work, Hervé has performed with artists whose practice is immersed in free improvisation and jazz, closely working with Mick Beck (sax, bassoon), Martin Archer (winds, el.), Peter Fairclough (drums), Philip Thomas (piano), Jez Riley-French (el.), Ian Simpson (el.), Charlie Collins (drums), Walt Shaw (el, perc), Constantin Popp (live processing, diffusion), Shaun Blezzard (electro), etc. in the UK
And also Michel Doneda (sop sax), Jonas Kocher (accordion), Simon Berz (dr, el.), Rodolphe Loubatiere (dr), d’Incise (el, objects), Cyril Bondi (dr), Heddy Boubaker (sax), Cia Barbet (dance), Joe Formanek (dr, el), Roger Mills (trumpet, el), Henri Herteman (p, trombone), Guy Bayssac (dr), Marin Beranger (p), Mark Alban Lotz (fl) etc. in Europe.
On acoustic instruments, hervé moves freely between abstract sounds and harmonic work, influenced by contemporary music, minimalism, noise, jazz and the practice of free improvisation.
He currently practices creative ways to develop musical narratives in improvisation. looking at both theoretical and practical approaches to music and performance, he has developed a method to weave melodic or harmonic paths in order to navigate outside of established structures, while maintaining a sense of evolving melody.
i met up with my friend ayse recently to talk about doing some more work together, and this got me reminiscing about our previous collaborations. so i thought i’d share some documents of this.
when i first contacted ayse, it was after coming across some of her performances around the theme of migration. her dance moves reminded me of energy practices like qi gong or tai chi and there was a definite vibe that i could relate to. very quickly, we found out that we had some common interests and that our practice of mindfulness, meditation as approach and creative output was highly compatible.
so merging the themes of our respective work, we spontaneously and very rapidly took this experimental work to the public.
the first instance, particularly, was visually stunning.
the communication during the performance, listening and close connection really worked.
and i was really amazed by the resulting painting created by ayse’s moves across the canvas.
the contents and ideas behind this project really work together on such an essential level, with the movement leaving a visible mark as metaphor for the deeply transforming experience of migrating to another country and culture.
the sounds, at times harsh and jarring, at time lyrical, converse closely with the other layers on the work. gradually, i started to introduce repetitive patterns played over time using circular breathing and this helped introduce a rhythm and pace for the movements, and allowed us to get deeper into the zone.
we had several practice sessions since then, and the underlying understanding and spiritual connection is of course very present.
this is something rather rare. and i am very keen on continuing this collaboration, whatever form it may take.
below are a couple of videos taken of our performances. the recording is a bit rough, but still a good document of the very beginning of this collaboration.
Many musical traditions have improvisation at the core of their practice. Often, improvisation appears within the frameworks of long standing traditions, sets of rules and theory. And there are as many degrees between composed work and improvisation as there are styles and musical practices.
In the more recent development of music in western tradition, ‘free improvisation’ is seen as breaking away from existing models. However, further inquiry will show that in actual fact, it reproduces many aspects which feed right into the current music industry and cultural or social demands.
I would like to present the idea that nothing is completely independent. Against the contemporary fad in pursuit of the ‘new’, nothing is purely novel, nothing is unique.
With this understanding of the law of causality, it is also important to consider the law of conservation of energy.
So I will draw parallels here with science in saying that nothing is ever created anew, nothing disappears, but everything transforms. This implies that every action, every event, every phenomena is the result of previous experiences; every effect has a cause and often it is difficult to separate cause from effect. We are all interconnected. This highlights the central point in the Buddhist mind that everything and everyone is inter-dependent. This law of causality is known as dependent arising.
To further the parallel with the Heart Sutra – a central teaching on the nature of Śūnyatā – I will add the following points:
Nothing is completely independent in that all things arise from a cause – it is said that things are empty, that is, empty of inherent existence, as there lacks an ultimate blueprint that dictates what this form is or is not. Things are empty of real existence because they are such only as the result of multiple causes and not by ultimate design.
So in reference to the practice referred to as free improvisation as we know it, it is a form of music making that took shape in reaction to cultural currents at a specific point in time. Needless to say that this has brought back into the mainstream the practice of spontaneous creation that had been pushed to the margins by the dominant trend in written, controlled forms, that led to the commodification of music, with focus on perfection of execution, reproducibility, recognisable and predictable popular elements, etc.
It is with a sense of irony that one may note that, although Derek Bailey coined the practice of free improvisation in the UK as a clear political positioning against established styles, he still developed a framework described by Dominic Lash (in Syntactics, 2006) using the problematic metaphor of language with its predictable patterns and structure where one’s musical personality is associated with the creation of a recognisable ‘vocabulary’.
Even when individuals break away from tradition, we are never too far from the impositions and demands of a culture ridden with conformism. In other words, no opposition can be so far out as to be in complete isolation; it has to be accepted and recognised by some for its ‘validation’, and, as stated above, is always grounded in and informed by existing knowledge or practices.
So, although free improvisation, by definition, should be free of any imposed style, formulaic technique or annexed to any time, culture, tradition or history, it is often informed by aesthetic choices and approaches identifiable in the players’ musical history and education.
There are very recognisable styles of playing and schools of thoughts that have developed over the years, which are associated with locality and points in time. For example, a minimalist approach and a great interest in noise abstraction and structures gives a specific flavour to improvisation that comes out of the London scene. Similarly, and around the same time, mainland Europe has more concerns with notions of silence, space and structures.
So how can it be that improvisation should take on predictable forms? Can we then still claim to be experimental, avant-garde and improvised, strictly speaking? Can we claim to improvise if we resort to a known vocabulary, a database of formulas that can be sequenced and altered slightly depending on context?
Well, it is obvious that there are different degrees to what is referred to as improvisation. It is evident that jazz improvisation (the spontaneous performance of solos within specific sets of rules) is not the same as the said free improvisation that has no pre-established rail to direct its narrative.
When talking about jazz, one has to take into account the importance of African music, where improvisation happens within the trance inducing repetition of specific rhythms. In classical Indian music, ragas have a strong connection to improvisation within frameworks where melody is constructed from strict segments – it is the rules around the combinations of notes and time divisions that give the very flavour to a raga.
In western, industrialised culture, it is important to understand at this point that throughout history, the notion of excellence, a commodified value that validates one’s musicianship and ability to perform has been strongly associated with one’s ability to develop a personal style. There is enormous pressure in developing one’s sound or voice. Of course, this has to be seen within a culture that is obsessed with individualism and ‘personality’. Of course, this fact goes against the Buddhist ideal of selflessness; ego tends to interfere with a communal act of creation based on communication and adaptability, central to free form playing. John Butcher’s article in Son du Grisly points at the times when this friction between style and freedom becomes problematic. In this article, he demonstrates the limits of said improvisation, when players are unable to shift from their recognisable, personal style.
Noticeably, most music schools, jazz in particular, put extreme importance on reproducing and mimicking the playing of known practitioners while at the same time advocating personal development. In practice, there is much pressure in playing standards in the commercial scene, and many stick to known territories when venues are desperate to get ‘bums of seats’.
In any case, if one understands the deep teachings on emptiness and causality, it is obvious that the material of choice and the way one practices informs what will eventually come out in performance. So what is often referred to as improvisation is, in many cases, a rendition of one’s focus of practice, that is, the creative output of influential figures, altered to fit one’s personal sound. Progress and change is always a slow process.
It must be pointed out that all the famous jazz players became famous for their individual styles, and due to their own original creations, not their rendition of classics, nor for the reproduction of someone else’s style…
From the present cultural perspective – there is an unspoken pressure to conform in order to be accepted, copy in order to progress, execute with perfection often at the detriment of creativity. No-one is born an improviser, it has to be re-learned. Due to current approaches to education, we all come from (or through) certain traditions, with specific styles, before having the required experience and technique to improvise. There is an assumption that one is not born but must become free. And i find this very problematic. There is something in the way we design a curriculum that subdues this original creative freedom, which eventually has to be re-learned.
Here also, dependent arising applies. In a culture where control, predictability etc. are central to the commodification of products, we have to re-train ourselves for the practice of improvisation, as if one has to free oneself from the norm, and go against the dominant trends where free-flow is not the desirable standard.
Of course, it is possible to become reasonably good at playing an instrument without exposure to a specific education. But I will argue that, in order to be really proficient and have enough vocabulary for varied and true improvisation, to have enough control of an instrument and fluidity so we are not limited to a certain range of playing techniques, it is very important to practice in the traditional way as well.
However, it is important to take into account the point put forward above, and practice in ways that invite creativity, and avoid formulaic exercises that will tie one’s playing down to predictable patterns.
I have found that in order to perform experimental sounds or approaches such as ‘extended techniques’, one has to practice traditionally, that is scales etc. across the whole range of the instrument, in order to develop the necessary skills and control. I do not particularly spend time practicing such extended techniques, but I know that in order to master ‘multiphonics’ on the saxophone, it is essential to develop an adequate embouchure and so on – and that is through the practice of scales and long tones across the range of the instrument, and more scales, and more scales and….
To finish on the topic of stylistic approaches, I will say that there are many styles of improvisers and we all have a certain background. Looking at the rich scene that has thrived in the city of Sheffield, the birthplace of improv in the north of England, I could see that musicians I played and performed with had retained a flavour (rather than a defined style) in their improvisations that were reminiscent of their musical culture.
Improvisers can come from all sorts of contexts: free jazz may be the most obvious, but also modern classical, folk, country and western even, or noise, rock, and electronic music. And as a matter of fact, like any other music genre, improv is merging with other avenues such as new music, contemporary classical, experimental electronics, field recordings, noise art. You name it. For me, it is all about communication, change, adaptability, which is why I do not buy into the premise of a personal identity/sound as point-of-sale.
But in the end, it is up to the individual musician to balance fairly their musical education and taste, the idiosyncratic sound they have developed (based on other players or not) and finally, what they feel is improvising within certain constraints, or completely freely.
So consequently, recognisable movements develop that seem to ‘stick’ to a particular approach or personal style. And improvisation then negotiates its freedom within such frameworks – where sound has replaced musical genre. For example there was a strong attraction in London for abstract minimalism so much so that anyone playing a ‘note’ would be looked down upon. I feel that this is where style becomes a limitation, and is counter-productive. However, this is down to the behaviour of individual players or groups, and is not a feature of improv per se. Fortunately, such fashions or schools come and go. Styles do not define improvisation because it is not a style, but rather, for me it is an approach to creating music, regardless of the aesthetic chosen, if any.
To quote a master in a totally different discipline:
« At best, styles are merely parts dissected from the unitary whole. All styles require adjustment, partiality, denials, condemnation and a lot of self-justification. The solutions they purport to provide are the very cause of the problem, because they limit and interfere with our natural growth and obstruct the way to genuine understanding. Divisive by nature, styles keep men apart from each other rather than unite them.»
Bruce Lee
So once again, I feel the need to draw parallels with the early references I made. We have seen the importance of history, theory and technique. And we have seen that the creative act of improvising is dependent on all or some of these factors. However, some people do improvise without exposure to theory. Others deny technique and do their own ‘thing’, thanks to the liberating punk attitude of the late 70’s.
Styles change, merge and pass away.
So if we look into detail and examine with a microscope, what is improvising? Is it defined by history alone? No. Is it just theory? No. Technique? No.
Music, and improvising are not just theory. Theory is a framework. Music is not just notes on a score. It is not a formula. And it is not just a language. How many people can speak simultaneously and still understand each other.
It is striking how similar this line of questioning deliberately follows the Buddhist analysis of what is self. Self is not the mind, it is not the senses, it is not just our emotions, etc…
And through the close study of the very deep, detailed, and complex text that is the heart sutra, one has to come to the conclusion that the self (and by the same token, that style in improvisation) does not exist.
The self is therefore said to be empty of itself, and can only be understood to be the observable result of complex streams of causes and effects.
So improvisation, as a style, does not ultimately exist. It is the product of an unruly history of practices and traditions that logically lead to the present state of affairs. Right.
In spite of many attempts to justify ruthless consumerist cultures, the arts are often considered unessential. And yet, all remains that are found to belong to ancient cultures are tools (for hunting and preparing food) and art objects – i would include cave paintings, bone flutes and jewellery. This essential part of our culture, of our survival, of our psychological, emotional, and spiritual evolution has been with us at all times. Art does not require justification, and especially not on financial ground. And if we need to re-learn the art of improvisation, the taxonomy and writing of music that led to commodification is comparatively a recent development.
To further the comparison between the practice of improvisation and meditation, let’s introduce the idea that ‘deep listening’ is absolutely central in that it offers a gateway for complete immersion into sound and allow oneself to be part the vibe, or soundscape that is spontaneously created. This way a group becomes one mind.
Secondly, I will say that empathy is absolutely essential in the practice of improvisation and this goes much further and deeper than the absolutely essential listening skill required in the practice of musical improvisation. Compassion is the utmost state for a true Buddhist practitioner, just as the empathy of ‘deep listening’ should inform all musical communication. As we have seen, it is when people stick to their individual sound (ego-clinging) and compromise communication that improvisation does not work.
I would like to share with you my personal experience of improvisation. One that, I would argue, is not shaped by theory and tradition. One that is free to dare play notes when others think improv should only be ‘structural’ abstract sound. One that has to be loosely, from a distance, supported by skills developed from traditional practice but… improvisation that has to completely let go of such frameworks, that has to let go of all expectations and peer pressures, that has let go of a need to please, even the need to achieve. Only then can you be completely free. The only limitation would therefore have to be structural to whatever instrument you play, and to what abilities you have integrated.
Improvisation, in this, is like meditation. And through improvisation, I have, personally and undoubtedly experienced moments of deep spirituality, both alone or shared with other skilled musicians.
There are references to this is various contexts, although the subject is very rarely talked about. In jazz, some talk about ‘the zone’ or ‘when the music is good’ and those moments are regarded as special. Steve Coleman, of all the jazz cats I know, seem to incorporate ‘the zone’ into his creative process and there are a few references to this in interviews on his Mbase site. But, his music is so complex, it has to be written. It is clear then, that improvisation ‘in the zone’ is used to generate material, which Steve then integrates into written parts. In order to read music from the page (or from memory), to follow complex structures, a certain level of cognition has to take place.
And it is evidently a matter of physics that so much energy is available at any given point, but also, certain approaches require specific mind states that may be incompatible: The more cognitive engagement is required, the less one is able to access the creativity of deep meditative states.
Coleman seems to strike a very interesting balance between the two, even stating in a recent interview about the performance of complex structures written for large ensembles, that spontaneous creation still has a large part in the performance of complex music. But evidently, he insists that much ‘preparation’ is required. “Spontaneous has a method, has a way”.
People’s experience and interpretation of the zone varies immensely. There is a tradition, very close to my heart, that takes this much deeper. In traditional shakuhachi playing, Buddhist monks used the bamboo flute as a tool for meditation, more so than for making music. There is a wonderful article about this by master Kiku Day (see biblio) where she underlines the importance of letting go.
There are also writings that coined the term ‘flow’ by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi that may be of interest in relation to spontaneous creativity. However, i feel that this term has been associated with commercial, business endeavours, where using the flow is a means to an end. This loses touch with the whole purpose, and the integrity required for meditation; and the notion of flow becomes artefact, superficial commodification of spirituality.
So it seems that musical traditions and improvising on the one hand, and spiritual practices (that involve a scientific approach to meditation) on the other, are always kept separate whereas I feel that both coexist in reality on a level very few people consider, mostly because we tend to remain bound by the boundaries of specific practices. There are a few examples in western culture and jazz, but generally spirituality is always a bit of a taboo in the art world.
So I would say that it is important we explore and study further the creative potential of meditative states, or mindful playing in the performance of music. It is an essential factor (even if the practitioner is unaware of what is really happening in the process of improvising) that needs research and practice, just as much as developing playing technique does. And what i hope this article will inspire is an enquiry into the relevance of all other aspects involved in spiritual practice, and not just mindfulness. Letting go, empathy etc, are all just as important, in my view. I find that this benefits the creative act, the quality of a performance, and the deep connection created with audience and performance space.
In a very personal, solo project called ‘sounding out’, I have been, over the years, recording improvisations in a number of outdoor sites – that is outside of the studio’s controlled environment.
The principle was at first to improvise with natural acoustics, interact with the sonic environment, and then developed into something much more – that is hard to describe with words. Just like true spirituality cannot be defined, it can only be hinted at with guidelines so the practitioner finds their own path. This is purely because meditation is a state that resides entirely outside the realm of intellectual analysis, outside language, outside the Imaginary or the Symbolic. It is pure experience, valid cognition in direct contact with what Lacan calls the Real.
This can only be achieved when a number of circumstances converge so that no distraction, emotional context, external pressures etc. take away the necessary complete focus and balance. Gradually, the mind clears, just like sediments settle and murky water becomes translucent. It takes time and discipline, just like the practice of music.
There have been very special places, with outstanding acoustics, but mostly with a certain quality of energy, that take me there. In such places, surrounded in the powerful atmosphere, from sounding out the first note, suddenly, i am suspended in the vibe, the resonance, the vibrations that hover and fill the space. Boundless, weightless spaciousness. Out of the deep connection, communication, and empathy required to improvise, blissfulness arises.
All is sound, all is vibrations. All is empty. Emptiness is form, form is emptiness. And the only reality feels like compassion because compassion is the very nature of life and creativity.
The space where I play expresses itself and vibrates the ‘soul’. Music plays itself. Narratives form and follow their own paths. There is no style in improvisation because form is empty. Even the idea of style becomes irrelevant. No desire. Vibrations arise and interact. Music is communication. This is the natural order of things. It is pure physics.
Sounding out is not improvisation on acoustics or birdsong. It is letting the rock and the walls of sacred sites sing through my instrument. It is the music of that place, at that moment. It is meditation on the now. It is being the now, being the place. It is telling its story, not mine.
To truly improvise, in the purist sense, one has to be a skilled musician, but also an experienced meditator.
You have to be willing to let go. You have to listen.
You have to let the music flow.
You have to let the instrument play itself.
You have to let go of ego, and accept to merely channel the music of the moment and of the place. Only then you have true communication and unity, harmony.
All the theory and the practice that we are so attached to are, in the end, just there in the hope that you are good enough a musician to be able to keep up with what’s going on. All those years of practice are summed up right there. It is the only preparation, the only net not to fall flat on your face and try to keep up with the flow.
Control, security, certainty, performing excellency and predictability are all illusions that form the ground for commercial, commodified entertainment. It is not life, it is not music and it is certainly not improvisation. Art is taking risks. And this requires complete focus and understanding (balance, rather than control). Ride the wave my friends, surf the flow of life. Enjoy the journey cos there is no good, no bad, theory, no expectation, style or anything to burden your mind with.
Only a peaceful clear mind can be completely and truly creative. The energy that is transmitted is what creates enjoyment in the listener.
Improvisation, like compassion, is life.
Be happy my friends. Meditate. Ride the wave.
nexttime studio 