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Six Ecoacoustic Quintets / Avian Telemetry
Matthew Burtner composer
The Furman University Percussion Ensemble
Ravello Records is proud to release SIX ECOACOUSTIC QUINTETS / AVIAN TELEMETRY, the newest album from Matthew Burtner. In collaboration with Omar Carmenates, the Furman Percussion Ensemble, and the Shi Center for Sustainability, Burtner’s compositions incorporate avian biology, soundscape ecology, romantic-period British poetry, ecoacoustic music, and avant-garde percussion performance. And if you find all that surprising, you’re not familiar with the work of these two innovative groups.
Six Ecoacoustic Quintets is an in-depth exploration of the elemental relationships humankind shares with nature and the environment. With sensuous clarity, we hear the sounds of water splashing and lapping, of stones clattering, of air whispering—all noises so fundamental that the ear recognizes them with prehistoric instinctiveness. Joining these natural elements are percussion instruments and electronics which, together, express the complexities of human nature.
Just as stirring is Avian Telemetry, a piece based on the study of bird songs, and particularly the finding that these songs have risen in pitch over the years. Again, these sounds from nature are interwoven with electronic music and avant-garde percussion performance. This time, another surprising element is added to the mix: British Romantic-era poetry. The stanzas drift throughout the performance, helping to direct the mood through subtle suggestion.
This latest release from Burtner pairs the keen sensibilities of two formidable artists. The result is a body of music that is rooted in the incomparable gravity and timelessness of nature itself. A powerful statement about humankind’s place in the ecological world and the responsibility that comes with it, SIX ECOACOUSTIC QUINTETS / AVIAN TELEMETRY is a collection of music that will dare you to listen closely to the world around you.
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Track Listing & Credits
| # | Title | Composer | Performer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 6 Ecoacoustic Quintets: No. 1, Water (Ice) | Matthew Burtner | The Furman University Percussion Ensemble | Stephen Bevels, Nick Bruce, Hannah Carlson, Justin Lamb, Rebecca McDaniel, Ryan Patterson, Emily Salgado; Omar Carmenates, percussion soloist | 4:48 |
| 02 | 6 Ecoacoustic Quintets: No. 2, Wood (Pitch) | Matthew Burtner | The Furman University Percussion Ensemble | Stephen Bevels, Nick Bruce, Hannah Carlson, Justin Lamb, Rebecca McDaniel, Ryan Patterson, Emily Salgado; Omar Carmenates, percussion soloist | 5:46 |
| 03 | 6 Ecoacoustic Quintets: No. 3, Stone (Sand) | Matthew Burtner | The Furman University Percussion Ensemble | Stephen Bevels, Nick Bruce, Hannah Carlson, Justin Lamb, Rebecca McDaniel, Ryan Patterson, Emily Salgado; Omar Carmenates, percussion soloist | 6:09 |
| 04 | 6 Ecoacoustic Quintets: No. 4, Metal (Noise) | Matthew Burtner | The Furman University Percussion Ensemble | Stephen Bevels, Nick Bruce, Hannah Carlson, Justin Lamb, Rebecca McDaniel, Ryan Patterson, Emily Salgado; Omar Carmenates, percussion soloist | 6:07 |
| 05 | 6 Ecoacoustic Quintets: No. 5, Air (Breath) | Matthew Burtner | The Furman University Percussion Ensemble | Stephen Bevels, Nick Bruce, Hannah Carlson, Justin Lamb, Rebecca McDaniel, Ryan Patterson, Emily Salgado; Omar Carmenates, percussion soloist | 7:04 |
| 06 | 6 Ecoacoustic Quintets: No. 6, Skin (Bones) | Matthew Burtner | The Furman University Percussion Ensemble | Stephen Bevels, Nick Bruce, Hannah Carlson, Justin Lamb, Rebecca McDaniel, Ryan Patterson, Emily Salgado; Omar Carmenates, percussion soloist | 4:28 |
| 07 | Avian Telemetry: I. Songscape Anthrophony | Matthew Burtner | The Furman University Percussion Ensemble | Kirsten Baker, Omar Carmenates, Hannah Gibson, Kam Jacoby, Tyler King, David Lord, Austen Pruner, Matthew Sandridge, Sam Sherer, Sean Simmons, Colin Smith, Christian Walters; Michele Speitz, narrator | 2:53 |
| 08 | Avian Telemetry: II. Aeolian Poetics | Matthew Burtner | The Furman University Percussion Ensemble | Kirsten Baker, Omar Carmenates, Hannah Gibson, Kam Jacoby, Tyler King, David Lord, Austen Pruner, Matthew Sandridge, Sam Sherer, Sean Simmons, Colin Smith, Christian Walters; Michele Speitz, narrator | 4:18 |
| 09 | Avian Telemetry: III. Avian Telemetry | Matthew Burtner | The Furman University Percussion Ensemble | Kirsten Baker, Omar Carmenates, Hannah Gibson, Kam Jacoby, Tyler King, David Lord, Austen Pruner, Matthew Sandridge, Sam Sherer, Sean Simmons, Colin Smith, Christian Walters; Michele Speitz, narrator | 3:19 |
| 10 | Avian Telemetry: IV. Transliteration No. 1 "Song Thrush" | Matthew Burtner | The Furman University Percussion Ensemble | Kirsten Baker, Omar Carmenates, Hannah Gibson, Kam Jacoby, Tyler King, David Lord, Austen Pruner, Matthew Sandridge, Sam Sherer, Sean Simmons, Colin Smith, Christian Walters; Michele Speitz, narrator | 2:54 |
| 11 | Avian Telemetry: V. Transliteration No. 2 "Ecologies of Sound in Nature Cultures" | Matthew Burtner | The Furman University Percussion Ensemble | Kirsten Baker, Omar Carmenates, Hannah Gibson, Kam Jacoby, Tyler King, David Lord, Austen Pruner, Matthew Sandridge, Sam Sherer, Sean Simmons, Colin Smith, Christian Walters; Michele Speitz, narrator | 6:02 |
| 12 | Avian Telemetry: VI. Transliteration No. 3 "Skylark" | Matthew Burtner | The Furman University Percussion Ensemble | Kirsten Baker, Omar Carmenates, Hannah Gibson, Kam Jacoby, Tyler King, David Lord, Austen Pruner, Matthew Sandridge, Sam Sherer, Sean Simmons, Colin Smith, Christian Walters; Michele Speitz, narrator | 3:40 |
| 13 | Avian Telemetry: VII. Transliteration No. 4 "Landrail" | Matthew Burtner | The Furman University Percussion Ensemble | Kirsten Baker, Omar Carmenates, Hannah Gibson, Kam Jacoby, Tyler King, David Lord, Austen Pruner, Matthew Sandridge, Sam Sherer, Sean Simmons, Colin Smith, Christian Walters; Michele Speitz, narrator | 2:37 |
| 14 | Avian Telemetry: VIII. Birds Why Are Ye Silent? | Matthew Burtner | The Furman University Percussion Ensemble | Kirsten Baker, Omar Carmenates, Hannah Gibson, Kam Jacoby, Tyler King, David Lord, Austen Pruner, Matthew Sandridge, Sam Sherer, Sean Simmons, Colin Smith, Christian Walters; Michele Speitz, narrator | 4:09 |
SIX ECOACOUSTIC QUINTETS
Recorded January 28-29, 2015 in Daniel Recital Hall at Furman University in Greenville SC
Recording Session Engineer John W. Parks IV, Garnet House Productions, LLC
Recording Session Producers Omar Carmenates, Matthew Burtner
Editing and Mixing John W. Parks IV, Matthew Burtner
Student Research Fellows Tyler King, Beth Fraser, Kate Stevens
Funding provided by The David E. Shi Center for Sustainability, The Furman Research and Professional Growth Program, The Furman University Student Government Association
AVIAN TELEMETRY
Recorded May 9, 2019 in Daniel Recital Hall at Furman University in Greenville SC
Recording Session Engineer Brian Nozny
Recording Session Producers Omar Carmenates, Matthew Burtner, John Quinn
Editing and Mixing Brian Nozny, Omar Carmenates
Mastering John W. Parks IV
Booklet photography Jeremy Fleming | jeremyfleming.com
Executive Producer Bob Lord
Executive A&R Sam Renshaw
A&R Director Brandon MacNeil
A&R Danielle Lewis
VP, Audio Production Jeff LeRoy
Audio Director Lucas Paquette
VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming
Publicity Patrick Niland, Sara Warner
Artist Information
Matthew Burtner
Matthew Burtner is an Alaskan-born composer, sound artist, and eco-acoustician whose work explores embodiment, ecology, polytemporality, and noise. His music comfortably crosses boundaries between environmental science and art, philosophy and acoustics, technology and body, and he is a leading practitioner of climate change music and ecoacoustic sound art. As a composer, Burtner seeks out contexts where critical issues of human/nature interaction are addressed, whether in musical contexts, other forms of media, scientific conferences, or political conventions. His music has been performed in concerts around the world and featured by organizations such as NASA, PBS NewsHour, the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the BBC, the U.S. State Department under President Obama, and National Geographic.
Omar Carmenates
Omar Carmenates is currently the Associate Professor of Percussion at Furman University in Greenville SC. He holds a Doctor of Music degree from Florida State University, a Master of Music Degree in Percussion Performance from the University of North Texas, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Central Florida.
Michele Speitz
Michele Speitz is Associate Professor of Romantic Literature and Culture at Furman University and Director of the Furman Humanities Center. She is Editor of Romantic Circles Scholarly Editions, and is currently working with Alan Liu (University of California at Santa Barbara) to establish and advance Critical Infrastructure Studies (CIS.org) across environmental humanities programs in the United States. Her work appears in SEL: Studies in English Literature, Studies in Romanticism, European Romantic Review, Essays in Romanticism, Romantic Circles: Praxis Series, and The Keats-Shelley Review. She has received the Trent R. Dames Fellowship in the History of Civil Engineering from The Huntington Library’s Munger Research Center and has stood as a residential fellow at The National Humanities Center.
The Furman University Percussion Ensemble
The Furman University Percussion Ensemble performs a wide variety of literature while also dedicating itself to the commissioning and performing of new chamber works from a diverse body of composers. As part of a long-standing collaboration with Furman’s David E. Shi Center for Sustainability, the ensemble also has become known for its performances and recordings of ecoacoustic music, helping promote Furman’s standing as one of the nations academic leaders in sustainability. Students of the Furman Percussion Ensemble have also presented interdisciplinary performances and research at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, the Ecomusics and Ecomusicologies conference, the nief-norf Summer Festival Research Summit, the International Conference on Romanticism, and the Esri International GIS User Conference.
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