Ken Field
Sensorium: Music for Dance & Film
Innova 836


1. Taxonomy (4:08).  The soundtrack for Karen Aqua's final animated film.  With the exception of my field recording of tens of thousands of migratory sand hill cranes returning to a lake near Roswell, NM, all the sounds on this track originated from my alto saxophone, including clicks, pops, blown air, and notes, and were digitally processed, pitch shifted, etc. to result in the palette that appears on the track.

2. Twist of Fate (8:38).  Soundtrack for Aqua's film documenting her cancer diagnosis and treatment.  Original music segments improvised by members of Birdsongs of the Mesozoic (Michael Bierylo/guitar, Rick Scott/synthesizer, Ken Field/alto sax) with Encanti/electronics.

3. Sensorium (5:04).  Music for double string quartet from the collaborative abstract film co-directed by Aqua and Field.  Mimi Rabson (5-string violin), Leslie Moye (cello), Carol Namkoong (piano), Phil Neighbors (drums).

4-11:  Double Expose:  Music commissioned by Bridgman/Packer Dance:
4. Corteo (4:04).  Funeral March for saxophones and percussion.  Ken Field (alto & soprano sax), Jessica Lurie (alto sax), Amy Denio (alto sax), Will Dowd (percussion).

5. Noir (6:01).  Percussion and electronics.  Phil Neighbors (percussion), Ken Field (percussion, electronics.

6. OnOff (3:21).  Duet for overdubbed acoustic bass.  Blake Newman (bass).

7. FrontBack (5:42).  Composition for piano trio and saxophone.  David Maxwell (piano), Blake Newman (bass), Phil Neighbors (drums), Ken Field (alto saxophone).

8. Noozy (5:14).  Mike Rivard (bass), Andy Pinkham (guitar), Mike Duke (guitar), Phil Neighbors (drums), Ken Field (alto sax).

9. Bed (6:02).  Layered and octave-shifted alto saxophone.  Ken Field (alto sax), Mike Rivard (bass).

10. Sanity (1:03).  Layered saxophones.  Ken Field (alto sax).

11. Final E (5:39).  Mike Rivard (bass), Phil Neighbors (drums), Ken Field (alto sax).

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All music composed by Ken Field, published by Conical Music/BMI

"Corteo" appears on the sFz CD "Pictures of Motion", and is included here by permission of sFz Recordings.

Ken Field is an Applied Microphone Technology Endorser and a Vandoren Performing Artist.  www.vandoren.com
www.appliedmicrophone.com

Produced by Ken Field



My career as a composer began in the late 1980s when my wife, animator Karen Aqua, asked me to create a portion of the soundtrack for her film "Nine Lives".  I subsequently wrote music for many of her films as well as for most of her short animated segments for "Sesame Street".  I found it challenging, enjoyable, and productive to work within the structure and constraints provided by the short film format.  My initial tracks were generally for layered saxophones and/or flutes and percussion, but I gradually learned to incorporate additional elements of sound design, looping, and electronics, and I expanded my compositional palette to include other traditional instruments as well.

My non-soundtrack solo work focused on compositions and improvisations for layered saxophones, sometimes with percussion and bass, and included the releases "Subterranea" (O.O.Discs #OO25, 1996) and "Pictures of Motion" (sFz #002, 1999).

Based on this body of solo work, I was commissioned by Bridgman/Packer Dance to create music for their piece "Under the Skin" (released as Innova #208 in 2006), and again a number of years later for "Double Expose", the third inÊa trilogy ofÊpieces that integrates live dance performance, innovative video technology, and original music collaborations.
bridgmanpacker.org

This collection of music, then, includes my most recent soundtracks for animated films by Karen Aqua (1954-2011) as well as my music for Bridgman/Packer Dance's "Double Expose".

It is dedicated in loving memory to Karen Aqua, who died on May 30th, 2011, after a ten year battle with cancer.
karenaqua.com

-Ken Field, Cambridge, MA, USA, May 2012
kenfield.org

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#2 mixed by Richard Bock
#1, 3-11 recorded and mixed by Andy Pinkham at Mortal Music, Charlestown, MA.  mortalmusic.net

Cover image from the animated film Sensorium by Karen Aqua.  karenaqua.com

Photo of Ken Field with saxophone by Ben Aqua.  benaqua.org

Photo of Ken Field without saxophone by Karen Aqua.

Cover design by Philip Blackburn.

Mastered by Jody Elff.  elff.net

Thanks to Karen Aqua, Art Bridgman, Myrna Packer, Philip Blackburn, Chris Campbell, Ben Aqua.

[Innova logo/address/www.innovarecordings.com]

(c) 2012 Ken Field  kenfield.org
(p) 2012 Innova Recordings

CD:
Ken Field
Sensorium:  Music for Dance and Film
(c) 2012 Ken Field
(p) 2012 Innova Recordings
All rights of the manufacturer and of the owner of the recorded
work reserved.  Unauthorized copying, public performance, and
broadcasting of this record prohibited.
Made in the USA