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No Boundaries: Intercontinental Indie-Pop Birds of a Feather Co-Create

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No Boundaries: Intercontinental Indie-Pop Birds of a Feather Co-Create

Catalytic creative-juice mixology, a collaborative journey into uncharted musical waters. Co-written on the spot by endearingly eccentric indie-pop multi-instrumentalists Greg Bette (Garçon de Plage, Paris) and Chris Peck (Peck the Town Crier; Fairfax, California), this song began the morning of the session a mere wisp of a motif. A few hours of joint open-mindedness, plenty of playful experimentation, and far more yea’s than nay’s later, led at evening’s close to the birth of “Feather”—now taking flight as Owl Mountain Sessions 013.

A sparkling, sunny daydream with warm retro vibes grows viscous and unfurls into a swirling menagerie of melody, shimmering chimes, astral guitars, and exotic textures, all grounded by the earthy contrast of clay drums and rumbling cavernous toms.

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Town Quartet Debuts Anton Reicha's Fugal Science No. XI

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Town Quartet Debuts Anton Reicha's Fugal Science No. XI

With Session 012, Oakland’s Town Quartet premieres more unpublished work from 19th-century Czech composer Anton Reicha, performing his Quatuor Scientifique No. 11 (Allegro moderato). A pioneering music theorist and academic from Beethoven's time, Reicha explored the application of mathematics and philosophical concepts within his compositions. Much of Reicha’s musical work was considered too unconventional and radical by the standards of his day, which contributed to his being relatively unknown when compared to some of his classical-era contemporaries. The Town Quartet aims to bring some of this more obscure work to the public. Like Q. Scientifique No. 7, the eleventh movement (of twelve) reveals another of Reicha’s fugal experimentations, this one being based upon the theme from the String Quartet Opus 20 No. 5 in F minor by one of Reicha’s mentors during his days in Vienna: Joseph Haydn.

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Town Quartet Premieres 1806-Vintage Anton Reicha

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In Owl Mountain Session 010, we introduced Oakland’s very own eclectic Town Quartet, featured in Matt Montgomery’s arrangement of Physical Suicide Deterrent System Project’s avant-grunge ballad “Geology”. With PSDSP frontman Eli Carlton-Pearson on acoustic guitar, the quartet of Mia Bella D’Augelli and Corey Mike (violins), Jacob Hansen-Joseph (viola), and Lewis Patzner (cello) gave us a rare blend of classical music and grunge rock, unplugged. The result: a beautifully raw sound with soaring intensity.

For Session 011, the Town Quartet switches gears, returning to more “traditional" string quartet literature. In this case, however, they dive into history to bring us new treasure: the world’s premiere performance and recording of “Quatuor Scientifique”, a rare unpublished piece from Czech-born composer Anton Reicha (1770-1836). A contemporary of Beethoven’s, Reicha was an innovative music theorist and composer whose approaches to rhythm and tonality were advanced beyond his time.

Movement 7 of his Quatuor Scientifique is a four-part fugue that explores the famous theme from Mozart’s “Haffner” symphony. Though brief, the piece unfolds into a complete thought full of rich layers that give equal voice to each member of the quartet. It gracefully ebbs and flows through many changes of texture and light, finally building to a bold, assertive organ-like finish. Please enjoy!

Avant- Post- Grunge / Classical Collaboration

Previously, we brought you avant-grunge rockers PHYSICAL SUICIDE DETERRENT SYSTEM PROJECT's "Geology" for Owl Mountain Sessions 009. Session 010 revisits "Geology" with an acoustic cross-genre interpretation arranged by Matt Montgomery (Versus Them) featuring the TOWN QUARTET, an Oakland, CA string quartet.

PSDSP front man Eli Carlton-Pearson unplugs for this new performance of “Geology", but rocks the grunge nonetheless. Where fellow PSDSP band members Brian Wilkerson's dark melodic electric bass and Michael Pinkham's shimmering drums usually comprise the additional voices in the Bay-Area trio’s “Geology”, composer and musical polymath Matt Montgomery swaps in the Town Quartet with a skillfully layered arrangement for two violins, viola, and cello. The result maintains the original composition’s beautiful thunder and heaviness—provided by Jacob Hansen-Joseph’s viola and Lewis Patzner’s cello—while soaring into otherworldly atmospheres through the full range of octaves on Corey Mike and Mia Bella D’Augelli’s violins.

Collaboration, a convergence of ideas, classical instruments exploring modern expressions. Enjoy Owl Mountain Sessions 010 “Geology” for all this and more!

“Geology” Arranged for string quartet by Matt Montgomery www.mattmontgomery.com

PSDSP - Physical Suicide Deterrent System Project www.psdspmusic.com Eli Carlton-Pearson - guitar, vocals Brian Wilkerson - bass, vocals Michael Pinkham - drums

TOWN QUARTET www.townquartet.com Corey Mike - violin Mia Bella D’Augelli - violin Jacob Hansen-Joseph - viola Lewis Patzner - cello

HEAR MORE MUSIC, SEE MORE MUSIC! www.owlmountainsessions.com www.youtube.com/owlmountainproductions www.facebook.com/owlmountainsessions

The Infinite Finite and Geologic Time

Owl Mountain Sessions’ second collaboration with avant-grunge innovators PSDSP has the Northern California trio leading us further down their intriguing path of sublimely dark melodic rockistry. While “Geology”’s almost psychedelic ruminations are more shining and atmospheric, being less steeped in ominous shadows than its pulsating predecessor “Shoulder”, its mood stays heavy and the flavor, deep.

“Geology” presents something transcendent with its viscous, smoldering build. The easy, golden shimmer of its sun-drenched introduction draws us first into a meditative rhythm. From there, lush imagery flows forth, and we gain momentum like blood coursing through the metaphorical corpus. Eli Carlton-Pearson’s layered contemplations pull us ever toward the core, but this is a different kind of introspection. Instead of becoming more compact, each phrase evolves and expands until molecular becomes magmic in scale. It’s like trying to retreat into the little hole in your head but falling instead into a cavernous galaxy of prehistoric ore glittering through the veins of your planetary brain. The infinite within the finite.

PSDSP's "Shoulder" Delivers Heady Brew of Avant Grunge

PSDSP's "Shoulder" Delivers Heady Brew of Avant Grunge

OWL MOUNTAIN SESSIONS 008 presents a heavy, heady brew of avant-grunge à la the Bay Area's cult darling PHYSICAL SUICIDE DETERRENT SYSTEM PROJECT (PSDSP). The Marin rock trio's sound frequently references the gnarly thrashing riffs of raw '90s grunge, but PSDSP's penchants for poetic innovation and unconventional elements have them going about their head banging in refreshingly artful, intellectual, rule-breaking fashion. A core inspiration for PSDSP is the life/death cycle within nature and the human psyche; their songs explore the forces of creation, decay, disintegration, and revival both surrounding and within us. Instead of dwelling upon morbid doom and gloom, however, PSDSP exalts the intricate, bewildering beauty hidden within nature's darker elements. At once sinister and joyous, "Shoulder" is a stellar example of PSDSP's brand of zen-filled angst, and is their epic first in a series of upcoming singles.

New Band Page: BESO NEGRO

Psst... Ever wished one little click could show you everything?? Well, on our brand-new BESO NEGRO band page, it does..! owlmountainsessions.com/beso

Hear and See over half an hour of straight, undiluted BESO. Or, pick and choose singles from the whole box of chocolates. Whether you like it fast n furious or slow n low, we've got you covered. It's a real variety pack coming from this band, which blends Gypsy, Rock, Blues, Latin, Americana, and Punk, and every one of the flavors is super yummy!

Double O Seven: BESO NEGRO Pulls the Trigger with "Bullet"!!

Owl Mountain Sessions 007 hits the ground running with adrenaline ablaze. "Well-Placed Bullet" is a supersonic fireball of pure gypsy-punk fury — BESO NEGRO's brand-new melodic machine gun that never quits or misses a target. There’ll be no running for cover, so rise up, stand your ground, fight back. Embrace the pyrotechnics!!

BESO NEGRO hails from the active musical town of Fairfax in Northern California. Their hybrid sound blends vintage roots in Gypsy Jazz, Blues, Rock, Latin, and Americana. Shaken, not stirred!