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<\/p>\nFor 17 years now, instrumental trio Free Planet Radio has been making its compelling brand of world music, suffusing jazz and pop forms with elements drawn from musical traditions around the globe. On its latest album, Stillness<\/i>, the Asheville-based group takes a slightly different approach, crafting an album of contemplative, near-ambient compositions. Free Planet Radio celebrates the release with an Oct. 6 show at Isis Music Hall, showcasing new works and playing favorites from the group\u2019s entire catalog.<\/p>\n
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Percussionist River Guerguerian explains the new album\u2019s stylistic departure from Free Planet Radio\u2019s customary beat-centric style. \u201cWhen we play live, our concerts can get a bit \u2018notey,\u2019\u201d he says with a chuckle. \u201cWe play a lot<\/i> of notes. But we have a really meditative side to our playing, too.\u201d Placid, soothing works had always been part \u2013 but just<\/i> a part \u2013 of Free Planet Radio\u2019s live repertoire. Bassist Eliot Wadopian says that \u201cpeople would often tells us, \u2018Man, those were so wonderful. We would love to hear more of that.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Guerguerian, Wadopian and string player Chris Rosser were intrigued by the idea. \u201cWe talked about it for years,\u201d Guerguerian says. \u201cWe finally hunkered down for two weeks last solstice time and put it together.\u201d The process was more free-form than a typical Free Planet Radio recording session. \u201cWe came up with [musical] sketches; they weren\u2019t as through-composed as our other pieces,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n
The secret to a successful collection of ambient music is to make it compelling. Guerguerian and his band mates sought to avoid what he calls a \u201ckind of fluffy, new age stereotype.\u201d He says the way to do that is to remove ego from the process. \u201cThis isn\u2019t music that says, \u2018Check this out; look at this cool thing that I could write.\u2019 It\u2019s really about trying to create a beautiful, lush pad that\u2019s organic and fluid and a little improvisational.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t want to take people out of the zone,\u201d Guerguerian says. \u201cYou want to provide a lush container that people can melt into.\u201d The last thing he and his band mates want is for Stillness<\/i> to lead listeners to think, \u201cOh, what\u2019s that?\u201d or \u201cThat sounds cool.\u201d \u201cBecause ego will pop them out of it and put them into their mental\/judgment state,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n
The idea behind Stillness<\/i> is to help guide the listener into what Guerguerian describes as \u201cthe fine line between alpha and delta brainwave states. The music could be relaxing, but it\u2019s also regenerative.\u201d He explains that research by neuroscientist Daniel Levetan has shown that humans can\u2019t really multitask. \u201cIf you\u2019re doing five things at the same time, your brain is really just switching between all five things. And those switches can get burned out.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo staring out the window for 20 minutes can be the most rejuvenating thing you do,\u201d Guerguerian says. \u201cBecause in doing that, you\u2019re letting all your synapses line up, and you\u2019re creating these threads between all your neurons.\u201d Stillness<\/i> is intended as a complementary soundtrack to such regenerative endeavors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t want to get big, fancy grooves going this time,\u201d says Wadopian. \u201cWith everything as busy and exciting as it is in this day and age, we thought a little calmness might be appropriate. Stillness <\/i>is specifically designed for that.\u201d <\/p>\n
The album also presented an opportunity to make use of new instrumentation. \u201cRiver wanted to use these fabulous handpans that draw individual listeners really deeply into the music,\u201d Wadopian says. Guerguerian describes the tuned percussion instrument. \u201cIt\u2019s a big metal thing \u2013 sort of like a steel drum \u2013 and you play it with your fingers,\u201d he says. \u201cIt has a weird, ethereal sound; it kind of sounds like a synthesizer.\u201d <\/p>\n
That balance between soothing and energetic, acoustic and electric, will characterize the Stillness<\/i> album premiere show. With a hearty laugh, Wadopian poses a not-at-all rhetorical question: \u201cHow do you do a CD release for a meditation record in a nightclub?\u201d <\/p>\n
Guerguerian provides an answer. \u201cWe\u2019ll play four of the Stillness<\/i> songs, a few classic things, and then we\u2019ll play material that we\u2019ve been working on for our next record. It\u2019s our ja<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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