Recorded live in Ashland, Oregon, “Start from Silence” captures three masters of West Coast analogue synthesis performing with a focus on reciprocal listening and improvised expression.

Todd Barton, Bruce Bayard, and Nathan Moody combine a unique set of unusual instruments into a journey in tone, gesture, and sound. The aural dynamics were made in response only to the sounds, breaths, and movements of each performer. The music ranges from ambient to intense, gliding from amorphous to structured with bubbling streams of energy and contemplative drones that guide the listener throughout. The recording purposefully contains the artists’ breaths and movements, lending verisimilitude, presence, and authenticity to this organic performance.

The artists hadn’t played together before this recording, making the emergent soundscapes and sonic exploration all the more stunning…yet perhaps unsurprising, given the their combined 70+ years of composition and performing experience.

Todd Barton: Hordijk Blippoo Box, looper, shakuhachi flute samples
Bruce Bayard: Buchla Music Easel, Morphagene sampler
Nathan Moody: Ciat Lonbarde Tetrax Organ, Sidrax Organ, and Cocoquantus; Make Noise Ø-Coast