Carl Stone (born Carl Joseph Stone, February 10, 1953) is an American
composer, primarily working in the field of live
electronic music
Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...
. His works have been performed in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, and the Near East.
Biography
From 1966 to 1969 he formed a band with
Z'EV
Z'EV (born Stefan Joel Weisser, February 8, 1951 – December 16, 2017) was an American poet, percussionist, and sound artist. After studying various world music traditions at CalArts, he began creating his own percussion sounds out of indust ...
and James Stewart, performing
jazz rock
Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, amplifiers, and keyb ...
. After auditioning for
Frank Zappa's
Bizarre Records
Bizarre Records, self-identified simply as Bizarre, was a production company and record label formed for artists discovered by rock musician Frank Zappa and his business partner/manager Herb Cohen.
History
Bizarre was originally formed as a produ ...
, the band ceased activities and both he and Z'EV went on to attend
CalArts
The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a private art university in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of both ...
.
Stone studied composition at the
California Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a private art university in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of both ...
with
Morton Subotnick
Morton Subotnick (born April 14, 1933) is an American composer of electronic music, best known for his 1967 composition '' Silver Apples of the Moon'', the first electronic work commissioned by a record company, Nonesuch. He was one of the foun ...
and
James Tenney
James Tenney (August 10, 1934 – August 24, 2006) was an American composer and music theorist. He made significant early musical contributions to plunderphonics, sound synthesis, algorithmic composition, process music, spectral music, microto ...
and has composed electro-acoustic music almost exclusively since 1972.
Stone utilizes a laptop computer as his primary instrument and his works often feature very slowly developing manipulations of samples of acoustic music, speech, or other sounds. Because of this, as well as his preference for tonal melodic and harmonic materials similar to those used in popular musics, Stone's work has been associated with the movement known as
minimalism.
Prior to his settling on the laptop, in the 1980s, he created a number of electronic and collage works utilizing various electronic equipment as well as
turntables
A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...
. Prominent works from this period include ''Dong Il Jang'' (1982) and ''Shibucho'' (1984), both of which subjected a wide variety of appropriated musical materials (e.g.
Okinawan folk song, European
Renaissance music, 1960s Motown, etc.) to fragmentation and
looping. In this way his work paralleled innovations being made in the early days of
rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
and
hip hop (e.g.
Grandmaster Flash, of whose work he was unaware at the time). It was during this period that he began naming many of his works after his favorite restaurants (often Asian ones).
His first residency in Japan, sponsored by the
Asian Cultural Council
The Asian Cultural Council (ACC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing international cultural exchange between Asia and the U.S. and between the countries of Asia through the arts. Founded by John D. Rockefeller III in 1963, AC ...
, was from November 1988 to April 1989. While living in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
he collected more than 50 hours of recordings of the city's urban soundscape, which he later used as the basis for his radio composition ''Kamiya Bar'', sponsored by
Tokyo FM radio, and released on a CD of the same name by the Italian label NewTone / Robi Droli.
Stone has collaborated frequently with Asian performers, including traditional instrumentalists such as
Min Xiao-Fen
Min Xiao-Fen () is a Chinese-American pipa player, vocalist, and composer known for her work in traditional Chinese music, contemporary classical music, and jazz.
Life
Min Xiao-Fen studied with her father, Min Jiqian (闵季骞), a music profe ...
(
pipa), Yumiko Tanaka (
shamisen),
Kazue Sawai is a Japanese '' koto'' player noted for her performance of contemporary classical music and free improvisation.
She began studying, at the age of eight, with Michio Miyagi. She later graduated from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and ...
(
koto
Koto may refer to:
* Koto (band), an Italian synth pop group
* Koto (instrument), a Japanese musical instrument
* Koto (kana), a ligature of two Japanese katakana
* Koto (traditional clothing), a traditional dress made by Afro-Surinamese women
* K ...
), Michiko Akao (
ryuteki), and those working with modern instruments, such as
Otomo Yoshihide
is a Japanese composer and multi-instrumentalist. He mainly plays guitar, turntables, and electronics.
He first came to international prominence in the 1990s as the leader of the experimental rock group Ground Zero, and has since worked i ...
(turntables, guitar),
Kazuhisa Uchihashi
Kazuhisa Uchihashi (内橋和久, ''Uchihashi Kazuhisa'') is a Japanese guitarist involved in free improvisation music. Born in 1959 in Osaka, Uchihashi began to play the guitar at age 12, playing in various rock bands, though he later studied j ...
(guitar,
daxophone
The daxophone, invented by Hans Reichel, is an electric wooden experimental musical instrument of the friction idiophones category.
Etymology
The ''dax'' in ''daxophone'' is derived from the German word ''Dachs'', meaning "badger" and refer ...
),
Yuji Takahashi Yuji or Yu Ji may refer to:
* Yuji Naka, is a Japanese video game programmer, designer and producer
* Yu Ji (painter), a Qing dynasty painter and calligrapher
* Yūji, a common masculine Japanese given name
* Consort Yu (Xiang Yu's wife) (虞姬; ...
(computer, piano), and vocalists such as Reisu Saki and Haco. He has also collaborated on an album with
Hirohito Ihara's
Radicalfashion with
Alfred Harth who partly lives in
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
, and with Miki Yui who lives in
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...
.
Beginning in the early years of the 21st century, Stone began to compose more frequently for acoustic instruments and ensembles, completing a new work for the
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...
-based American Baroque.
Stone served as president of the
American Music Center
New Music USA is a new music organization formed by the merging of the American Music Center with Meet The Composer on November 8, 2011. The new organization retains the granting programs of the two former organizations as well as two media progr ...
from 1992 to 1995, and was director of
Meet the Composer
New Music USA is a new music organization formed by the merging of the American Music Center with Meet The Composer on November 8, 2011. The new organization retains the granting programs of the two former organizations as well as two media progra ...
/California from 1981 to 1997. He also served as music director of
KPFK-FM in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
from 1978 to 1981.
For many years, Stone has divided his time between
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
and
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
.
Stone received a 1999
Foundation for Contemporary Arts
The Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA), is a nonprofit based foundation in New York City that offers financial support and recognition to contemporary performing and visual artists through awards for artistic innovation and potential. It was ...
Grants to Artists Award.
Works
Solo recordings
* ''Wat Dong Moon Lek'' (May 2022)
* ''Namidabashi'' (2021) - digital only release, part of the ''Displacing'' series, on
Touch
In physiology, the somatosensory system is the network of neural structures in the brain and body that produce the perception of touch ( haptic perception), as well as temperature ( thermoception), body position (proprioception), and pain. It ...
*''Stolen Car'' (2020)
* ''Al Noor'' (2007) – Explorations into the dismantling and re-composition of global song and melody
* ''Nak Won'' (2002) – Real-time music for laptop computer
* ''Resonator'' (2002) – Soundtrack for the works of sculptor Seiji Kunishima
* ''Exusiai'' (1998, released 1999) – Music for contemporary dancer Akira Kasai
* ''em:t 1196'' (1996) – The musical part of a three-way collaboration between the composer, dancer Kuniko Kisanuki and sculptor Satoru Shoji
* ''Kamiya Bar'' (1995) – Excerpts from a sound collage assembled in 1992 from TV commercials and field recordings made in Tokyo in the late 1980s
* ''Mom's'' (1992)
* ''Four Pieces'' (1989) – Playful explorations and transformations for Macintosh computer
* ''Wave-Heat'' (1983) – Piece for digital delay/harmonizer and an LP record; released on audio cassette
* ''Woo Lae Oak'' (1981, released 1983; re-issued 2008 as a single continuous track) – A concrete symphony for the tremolo of a rubbed string and the tone of a blown bottle
Some unreleased recordings
*''Torung'' (1983) – Piece for Synclavier
*''Maneeya'' (1973) – Piece for tape
*''Plastics'' (1972)
Film soundtrack
Other released collaborations
Realistic Monk, (2015–present) collaboration with sound artis
Miki Yui
Pict.soul (2000–2001) – Long-distance collaboration with
Tetsu Inoue
Tetsu (written: 哲, 徹, 鉄 or テツ in katakana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese photographer
*, Japanese voice actor
*, Japanese musician
*, Japanese politician and Prime Minister of Japan ...
Monogatari: Amino Argot (1994) – Long-distance collaboration with Otomo Yoshihide
Over-Ring-Under (1992) – Soundtrack to a videogame CD-ROM, with visual artist Teckon
Other commissioned works
*''Luong Hai Ky Mi Gia'' (2001) – DVD-Audio/Video piece for 5.1 surround sound system; commissioned by Starkland
*''Sa Rit Gol'' (1997) – Piece for disklavier and pianist; commissioned by Bay Area Pianists and Cal Performances, as part of the Henry Cowell Centennial Celebration at UC Berkeley
*''The Noh Project'' (1996) – A collaboration with choreographer June Watanabe and Noh master Anshin Uchida
*''Yam Vun Sen'' (1995) – Network duel piece for the internet; commissioned by NTT as part of IC95 Festival, Tokyo
*''Sudi Mampir'' (1995) – Contribution to compilation album "em:t 5595"
*''Banh Mi So'' (1994) – Piece for ondes martenot and piano; commissioned by Takashi Harada and Aki Takahashi
*''Mae Ploy'' (1994) – Piece for String Quartet and computer accompanist; commissioned by the Strings Plus Festival, Kobe, for the Smith Quartet
*''Lumpinee'' (1993) – Installation for computer-operated MIDI system; commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles for the exhibition "John Cage: Rolywholyover: A Circus"
*''Du Pars'' (1993) – Soundtrack for interactive laserdisk "L.A. Journal", produced by Voyager
*''Ruen Pair'' (1993) – Piece for electronic chamber ensemble; commissioned by the Paul Dresher Ensemble
*''Rezukuja'' (1991) – Piece for bass marimba and electronics; commissioned by Sumire Yoshihara
*''She Gol Jib'' (1991) – Piece for ryuteki (flute) and electronics; commissioned by Michiko Akao
*''Recurring Cosmos'' (1991) – Piece for High Definition video and electronics, including ''Banteay Srey''; commissioned by Sony PCL
*''Made in Hollywood'' (1990) – Soundtrack music; commissioned by ZDF Television, Germany
*''Thonburi'' (1989) – Part of the radio series "Territory of Art"
*''Spalding Gray's Map of L.A.'' (1987) – Soundtrack for videotape produced and directed by Bruce and Norman Yonemoto
*''Vault'' (1984) – Soundtrack for videotape produced and directed by Bruce and Norman Yonemoto
*''Mae Yao'' (1984) – Piece for live electronics, multiple bagpipes and pipe organ; commissioned by The Art of Spectacle Festival
*''Se Jong'' (1983) – Piece for tape; commissioned by the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival as part of the radio series "Sounds In Motion"
References
Reviews
The Wire Top Ten 2020 ''Stolen Car''
Artforum, Best of 2019 ''Himalaya''
Bandcamp, Best Experimental Albums of 2019 ''Himalaya'' and ''Baroo''
Pitchfork, Best Experimental Albums of 2019 ''Baroo''
The Wire Best of 2019 ''Himalaya''
The Wire Best of 2019 ''Baroo''
The Wire full review''Himalaya''
External links
Official websiteDeep algebra for deep beats: The beautiful sounds of musical programming ArsTechnica 2020
Tone Glow 032.6: Carl Stone2020
UNA CONVERSACIÓN CON CARL STONE Luca 2021
Lecture Harvey Mudd College Nelson Speaker Series, 2012
Lecture Presentation Carl Stone at TEDxTheWebbSchools, 2013
Fifteen Questions Interview with Carl StoneCarl Stone :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview 2018
15 Questions to Carl Stone 2013
*Golden, Barbara. "Conversation with Carl Stone.
(April 2010). Montréal:
CEC.
*O'Toole, Owen.
Carl Stone Interview" Interview from 27 August 2009, La Brea Farmers Market. ''Underminds'', 17 December 2009.
*Taylor, Gregory.
An Interview With Carl Stone" ''Cycling 74'', 13 September 2005.
*webSYNradio.
websynradio – programmed by Carl Stone" ''podcast available'', 18–25 March 2010.
*Burns, Todd.
Charting Carl Stone's Musical Evolution: Sampling the Sacred and Profane" Red Bull Music Academy Daily, 5 December 2016.
Listening
commissioned by
Starkland
Starkland is an independent record label based in Boulder, Colorado that specializes in alternative classical music. It was founded in 1991 by Thomas Steenland.
Starkland's first two CDs offered all the principal 1960s music from the "organized s ...
* at SASSAS
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stone, Carl
1953 births
Living people
20th-century classical composers
21st-century classical composers
American male classical composers
American classical composers
Asian Cultural Council grantees
21st-century American composers
20th-century American composers
20th-century American male musicians
21st-century American male musicians