A Stable Environment {Going In 025}

Very glad to announce the 25th release on Going In (incidentally, the 25th title that I’ve worked on in the audio domain for the series; easily the most consistently rewarding gig I’ve had as of recent) in the form of an hourlong, real-time, improvised suite of Guitar-and-Embedded-Computer music entitled “A Stable Environment”, as recorded this past Saturday here at Lafayette Overground, then released on Bandcamp today (the following Thursday; if you ever needed an argument for the platform’s ability to enable one to quickly & seamlessly distribute music, this is it).

Click the image on the left to have a listen, or the one of the right to grab a copy for yourself (or consider the yearly Subscription option; this helps me immensely while choosing to either sit down and work on music, or toil in the endless procrastination/research caves). Here are Zoey Shopmaker’s wonderful liner notes:

On the other side of loneliness, there is solitude—the sound of the self existing as an indistinct web connecting all things. Here, there is stability; there is peace; there is presence. Tapping into this space requires patience and stillness, but once there, a well of inspiration and heartfelt truth inevitably rises from the depths of the soul. Driven by a longing to escape the confines of his home studio, Keith Fullerton Whitman built a makeshift haven of creative respite within the confines of his home attic. What emerged from this introspective sojourn is the captivating album aptly titled "A Stable Environment."

At its core, "A Stable Environment" is an exploration of deceleration, an embrace of stillness, and a chance to luxuriate in the sacred space where ideas can unfold away from the daily grind. Whitman found solace in a modest setup, fashioning a separate perspective amidst the ethereal attic ambiance. There within the dimly lit walls, he drew forth an array of dusty tonal layers and gently evolving harmonic textures.

The sonic landscape of "A Stable Environment" arises from the interplay between Whitman’s guitar and an array of real-time sensing and analysis engines, which he used to control a quarter of wavetable synths. Though the guitar's timbre remains absent, its essence permeates the music, infusing it with the familiar touchstone of the artist’s expressive melodies. The inherent idiosyncrasies of the instrument, its organic tuning inconsistencies, weave themselves throughout the fabric of the composition, rendering it a poignant homage to Whitman's deep-rooted connection with the guitar.

Structured in three distinct phases, "A Stable Environment" captures the essence of sound in the air. The entire piece unfolds in real-time, with minimal post-production intervention, rendering Whitman as both performer and listener. Throughout the album’s hour-long runtime, he nimbly coaxes melodies into existence, one note at a time, before stepping back to assess their resonance, gradually augmenting the tonality and form as day dissolves into night.

Throughout this piece, Whitman’s signature "Playthroughs" methodology finds renewed expression. The perpetual feedback system, a hallmark of his artistic approach since the early 2000s, takes on new dimensions with a considerable pause, allowing Whitman to revel in the space between introspection and expansion.

"A Stable Environment" is an invitation to embark on a slow-moving journey, in which the listener might transcend temporal constraints and embrace the interconnectedness of the musical motifs therein. Whitman's keen ear for sonic depth, the spaciousness he masterfully weaves, and the meticulously crafted harmonic layers evoke a sense of serenity and emotion throughout the album. As the newest addition to the label's growing catalog, "A Stable Environment" cements Whitman's position as an artist at the pinnacle of his creative prowess, offering a work that is simultaneously singular and seamlessly integrated into the fabric of his oeuvre. 

released June 15, 2023

Written, produced, mastered and performed by Keith Fullerton Whitman
Art Direction by Andrew Charles Edman
Liner notes by Zoey Shopmaker