More Unity by Landon Caldwell & Friends

For several years, composer Landon Caldwell has iterated on his ‘Unity’ concept. In essence, 'Unity' looks to composition as a spiritual realm for connection through time and space between different selves and different people. It tries to be everything; composition and improvisation, ensemble and solo, etc. ‘More Unity’ is a continuation of that pursuit and the latest iteration to manifest via Caldwell and an expanded ensemble of collaborators, including Patrick Shiroishi, Thom Nguyen, Yuri Osuka, Mark Tester, Drew Davis, Jordan Allen, and Nick Yeck-Stauffer.

Place and environment are central themes in Caldwell’s work, and Indianapolis has played a huge role in the artist’s approach to his compositions. ‘More Unity’ is about connection, physical and digital.

The album features two groups, Eternal Husk and Flower Head Ensemble. Eternal Husk tracks were improvised and recorded at State Street Pub, a place that is a cultural epicenter for the Indianapolis freak music community. Flower Head Ensemble was recorded using the Simultaneous System, a method where players recorded independent and ‘blind’ of the other players. The tracks are then cut up and rearranged into a composition. During the Simultaneous System recordings, players were located in Asheville, Los Angeles, and Nagoya. The juxtaposition here of two methods and two groups into a single album was very intentional. The challenge in conceiving and executing More Unity was to create an album with a singular sound that encompassed as many dualities as possible. Those dualities are apparent in not only method & engineering but also in concept. In exploring the intersection between improvisation and composition, Caldwell discovered that they aren’t that different.

Atlantic Rhythms releases deep, contemporary music on limited-run cassettes, hand-screened posters, and digital formats.

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