Inversions

by 

Arp

AlbumSep 02 / 20163 songs, 38m 4s
Progressive Electronic

Arp is the solo project of Alexis Georgopoulos, a composer/artist/producer based in New York City. Inversions is the latest chapter in Arp's evolving narrative, a diverse musical sprawl that has issued sets of captivating brilliance on the likes of RVNG Intl., Mexican Summer, and Smalltown Supersound. This cassette fortuitously bridges together Arp's shapeshifting identity, from avant-koscmische tinkerer to avant-classical composer and dance-floor modulator. "Raga for Moog & Violin" and "Flamingo" were originally created for a sound installation presented at Jack Hanley Gallery in New York City in 2014. Both tracks were composed in the same key (C minor Dorian), chosen for its ability to be heard in great lengths of time, its root in cultures from ancient Greece to India, and its link to visions of futurism, Arp's sound installation reflects and refracts themes explored by both creative studio RO/LU and filmmaker Paul Clipson. Using a Moog synthesizer, and featuring Nicky Mao (who records under the name Hiro Kone) on violin and piano, the mode allows the listener/visitor to focus on sound at times and plays a subliminal, sometimes barely perceptible role, at others. Analog synthesizer overtones give way to violin, moving gradually at first, then building into a cascade of sound, before receding. This process regenerates over the course of the piece, each time doing so differently. Inversions also includes "East of the Sun, West of the Moon," a track intended for the installation that was not used in the end. Here, it refinds its original companions.