Separate Self

Pittsburgh-based composer Philip Thompson presents SEPARATE SELF, his debut release on Ravello Records. Thompson writes that the release is “a reflection of the creative energy that comes from being deeply rooted in a vibrant artistic community.” True to this communal spirit, several of the pieces were composed in collaboration with artists from different disciplines – from robotics and dance with Separate Self to visual art with Nocturnes to film with the score to Will Zavala’s documentary Virgil Cantini: The Artist in Public. In the more introspective pieces, Thompson retains a spirit of interaction with the world around him. He uses a medieval chant as the cantus firmus foundation of Trouble, and with Kecow hit tamen, explores his ancestral roots in the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina through its history and language.

At times, Thompson’s music is delicate and atmospheric, the distinct sounds of his instrumental palette shifting and rearranging across his musical canvas. In other moments, he captures a kinetic current, sending sounds rippling and tumbling into one another. The collaborative Pittsburgh ensemble IonSound Project, violist Marylène Gingras-Roy, and percussionist/producer Ryan Socrates perform Thompson’s colorful compositions, filling out the vibrant artistic community displayed in this release.