Finding meaning through tragedy
The holy trifecta: Love, Nature, and Art
I have several dead friends. A few amazing folks I fell out of touch with as life moved us forward, others were still a big part of my life when we lost them. All succumbed to the inevitable reality of human existence — the fact that it eventually ends. Some people choose a road that tempts this more than others, but we all inevitably find the same fate.
Losing people sort of rearranges your sense of time. It forces us to consider who we are, how we use our days, and what we leave behind. For now, we’re still here, and that’s what matters. These days more than ever, I’m just trying to figure out how to be happy.
As time moves forward, my perspective has been slowly shifting. I’m not always sure what really matters anymore, but I keep coming back to a few simple truths: Love, Nature, and Art. These things are eternal in a way our lives are not, and everything else seems to fall away when viewed through this lens.
As artists, we operate consistently at a loss. We don’t make art for reward, not in the classic sense. Making art is a reasonable response to an unreasonable world, but it doesn’t solve all the world’s problems. For a long time I’ve told myself that the creative act is important, that art makes impacts you can never see, and that you should never underestimate its power to change the world — and I still believe this. Music and art has saved my life more than once. It brings meaning, and has helped to shape a world view with creativity at its center.
I’ve come to realize though, that the rest of the world really doesn’t see things this way.
We build in moments. Maybe your art changes a single person, quietly, right when they need it. A song keeps you alive through a night that feels otherwise impossible. The sound of frogs remind you that something beautiful is alive out there in the dark. These moments have true impact, however small, and continue to resonate far beyond our own understanding.
The artists below understand this idea instinctively. They’re creating work that matters, that reminds us we’re not alone. Each artist is proof that the creative act continues, quietly, and with purpose. Please take a moment to support these great artists and excellent labels, each is helping to make the world a better place, one song at a time.
☮️ ❤️
— Matthew
PRYMEK & SAGE
Shelter
AKP Recordings
I’ll admit I’m not crazy about The Rolling Stones — the lyrics haven’t aged well, and it feels mostly out of line these days. But old Mick might have had some actual insight:
“If I don’t get some shelter / Ooh yeah I’m gonna fade away.”
Shelter is a basic human need, a crucial element of every living creature, and perhaps that universality is what feels so comforting here. Matt Sage and Chaz Prymek each bring their own sonic mastery. Sage has established a name through years of kosmische field-toned composition, while Prymek is known through the slow-burn physicality of his graceful guitar. The two work together in the ambient jazz supergroup Fuubutsushi, and come together again here, making music that feels as though it’s been uncovered from an ancient hillside.
The preview track “Hill Blocks View” offers just a taste — sleek, elegant, and strangely weightless. Prymek handles slide guitar, Sage primarily piano, with minimal reed drones threading warmth through the whole. AKP Recordings has quietly become one of the most trustworthy labels in this space, and this is exactly why.
The music sits quietly with itself, unhurried, and in that, we find shelter.
ALONE-A
a veil, a prism
Bumpy Records
It’s great to see alone-a offer an official recorded debut. Alana Horton has been steadily honing her craft, delivering transportive performances on the regular around town, so we’re well primed for the first official output from the project.
Larry Wish’s Bumpy label tends to traffic in a specific, whimsical world view, but the new alone-a album is definitely no joke. Using Max/MSP to augment her own voice in real-time, the album is a balance of live performance and studio process, bringing clarity and soft weight to Horton’s emotive electronics.
There’s a haunting intimacy to the record, as though the artist is whispering directly into the space between thoughts. The work is minimal, modern, and crisp — a velvet cushion for exhausted minds.
DOMENICA DIAVOLERIA
Flicker Statue Eyes
Eiderdown
You can always expect immaculate vibes from Eiderdown Records, and the haunted new album from Olympia-based artist Domenica Diavoleria is an air-filled stunner. Werewolf movies are a special breed, and of these, only a select few stand apart as time passes. The Company of Wolves won the prize for one of the most disturbing VHS boxes in my youth. Featuring work by legendary FX artist Christopher Tucker, the creepy image still lives rent free in my mind.
Diavoleria presents ‘Flicker Statue Eyes’, and it immediately pulls you in, a gorgeous reconstruction of her original score for the iconic 1984 horror film. The music is eerie, dynamic, and instantly captivating, a precious, lycanthropic jewel.
HARLAN SILVERMAN
Music for Stillness
Mississippi
Recalling beautiful bansuri works by masters like Pannalal Ghosh or Sri Chinmoy, ‘Music for Stillness’ breathes with life, a welcome solo offering from this member of the acclaimed Portland-based Cosmic Tones Research Trio.
The trio’s recent albums have made a metaphysical dent, setting a high standard of excellence in modern, mindful jazz, and elegant, elevated improv. It’s no surprise then to be bowled over by the lovely proceedings here, Harlan’s album veritably oozes with gentle spirit.
We each move at our own unique pace, and witness a trail of soft marks left behind. Silverman is forging a delicate path — human, patient, and perfect.
STONEWASHED by Matthew Hiram
Stonewashed is a chronicle of creative reality, tracing the inner and outer landscapes of life and sound.
www.matthewhiram.com
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Beautifully articulate descriptions of musical offerings.