This recording was funded in part by a grant from the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc., and by the Princeton University Music Department and Council on Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Critical Reception
The New York Times described "neither Anvil nor Pulley" as mixing George Crumb's unearthly timbres, Alvin Lucier's fine gradations of tone, and Jimi Hendrix's creative audacity.
Composition History
Dan Trueman's "neither Anvil nor Pulley" was commissioned by So Percussion, the ensemble performing it on this album.
Album & Artwork
Inspired by their previous "Cage Bootlegs" project, So Percussion and Cantaloupe Music offer various ways to experience this album, including repurposed LPs with custom artwork, speaker drivers, and 'tether' controllers.
Compositional Technique
The piece features unusual instruments and techniques, including a turntable with old fiddle tunes, virtual metronomes reset by striking wood, re-purposed golf video game controllers, and a bass drum with speaker drivers.
Notable Performances
So Percussion premiered "neither Anvil nor Pulley" in Austin, Texas, on March 11, 2010, followed by its New York City premiere at Carnegie's Zankel Hall.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Composer Dan Trueman describes "neither Anvil nor Pulley" as a wordless musical epic exploring the 'man'/machine relationship in the digital age, questioning the musical possibilities of the computer.
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