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LP
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ROAR 042LP
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2016 release. Molecular Affinity is a first ever meeting among Nels Cline, Thollem McDonas, and Pauline Oliveros. Thollem McDonas, "This is the third trio album Nels and I have made together, each time with a different 3rd partner. The previous two were The Gowanus Session (2012) with William Parker and Radical Empathy (2015) with Michael Wimberly. Though each session has been unique in itself (different prescribed approaches, the environment and of course the uniqueness that each individual brings), there are definitely overarching themes pollinating each album. As the instigator of each of these sessions, I've always been curious about the sonic experience created each time a unique combination of musicians gather. So, in a sense, this is really kind of a scientific experiment with a control and a variable. I also love the trio format: there's plenty of room for everyone, yet still many possible depths of complexity in relationships between the individuals. The three of us seemed immediately intertwined, psychically and sonically; it was an amazing place to record with amazing musicians/human beings. I think it all comes through in the recording; it's an experiment with fascinating results" Pauline Oliveros, "This recording brought us together for an unusual musical conversation. There was no plan or guiding structure. Thus the conversation set the pace between electric guitar, accordion and piano. Each of us contributing, conversing in response to the other from our own individual perceptions. The music develops as a result of those moments of conversation. As different subjects are triggered or introduced the conversation shifts, turns and integrates making the music." Nels Cline, "It started on a beautiful sunny day in a rental car to Accord, NY, Thollem at the wheel, his lovely partner Angela riding shotgun. Thollem had instigated yet another miraculous and rather unexpected improvisatory recording session. This time, I was really going to meet the legendary Pauline Oliveros and improvise with her, and Thollem, of course! We met at a market and caravanned it to a beautiful barn studio. Pauline was immediately welcoming and gracious, a good start! A few improvisations, some bucolic photos, and precious lungfuls of sweet air later we were headed back to the city. How was that? Did that really happen? Yes, it really did. A concentrated portion of our probing explorations is thankfully here, on this petrochemical slice, Molecular Affinity. It's a good thing!" Jacket and label feature confocal microscopy images of a Coleochaete green algae, by Fernán Federici.
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