EM Records / Japan / 2025 / 10"
EM Records is proud to present 8 Automated Works, the debut from Componium Ensemble, a project led by Spencer Doran (Visible Cloaks). This "indeterminate chamber music" explores the fascinating lineage of automated music, tracing back from ancient Greek hydraulic organs to the digital possibilities of the modern studio.
Doran uses technology to move beyond human limitations, allowing "new shapes to emerge" through a vast range of virtual instruments, including prepared piano, bowed harpsichord, celesta, and bamboo tingklik. The project is dedicated to Noah Creshevsky, a pioneer of "cyber-human" music, and explores the intersection of chance systems and musical automatons.
Despite its formidable theoretical background, the music remains remarkably accessible, spacious, and fresh. With a sophisticated melodic sense and a light touch, these compositions bridge the gap between contemporary classical music and experimental pop.
The album was mixed by longtime collaborator Joe Williams (Motion Graphics, Lifted) and features hyper-realistic 3DCG artwork by Japanese artist Kai Yoshizawa. It is a profound meditation on how we use machines to create beauty through aleatoric processes and randomization.
FFO: Visible Cloaks, Haruomi Hosono, mid-century avant-garde, and generative ambient.