Ajemian, Jason - Riding the Light into the Bird's Eye
SKU
New Atlantis 001
"Jason Ajemian has acquired a high profile in the improvised music scene over the years, performing with Rob Mazurek, Ken Vandermark, and currently with Marc Ribot and Matana Roberts. Ajemian's curiosity has ranged far and wide - he's just as comfortable in the hushed folksy setting of Born Heller, his duo with Joesephine Foster, as he is in the breath-processed arrangements of his large ensemble, Who Cares How Long You Sink. Given such a variety of musical interest, a detour like From Beyond, Ajemian's backwards version of Black Sabbath's 'Into the Void' for chamber ensemble, begins to seem like an obvious stop on this bassist's journey from the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains to Chicago then New York City and his current home in the Great White Whale. Jason Ajemian & the HighLife stopped into Dave Matthew's studio in Scottsville, Virginia, (managed by a childhood friend of Ajemian's) to record Ajemian's latest score. In keeping with the belief in immediacy and improvisation, the album was recorded in one take with no overdubs. The only exception is the opening text piece: a letter to Daddy read by Champagne, two characters who are simultaneously a presence in the ongoing story of the HighLife and actual band members. The text reveals the conclusion of Daddy's testimonial 'His Name on Records', in which his voice is delayed and panned. Every other sound on the album was captured in the moment. Working in the architectural drafting program AutoCAD, Ajemian creates scores that guide musicians through musical hallways. At times maze-like, they act as musical road maps of Ajemian's impressionistic burst of inspiration and musical thoughts that parallel his own travels- almost like a 3 dimensional photograph. Mining music's avaiability (we can hear music from anywhere on the planet at this moment) and the idea that genres are more often simply a state of mind or feeling than a form. Rather than defining boundaries, in Ajemian's blueprints the line work links musical worlds. Constellations of sound change in an instant, like passing thoughts or a shooting star that burns out in the sky. Ajemian innovates while embracing multiple genres without prejudice, representing the digital mechanisms and the information super-highway that teleport us from all over the world in a blink. Like the mind itself and its capabilities in imagination; as well as teleportation, Riding the Light into the Bird's Eye is a time-lapse of a day in the life of a time traveler. Jason Ajemian & the HighLife features a carefully structured approach to improvisation that is immediate and effortless. We are extremely excited to introduce this 3-Dimensional style of pop music."