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On Mare Island (Natura Morta)

by Davy Bui & Kevin Corcoran

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On Mare Island (Natura Morta) 42:40

about

Still Life. That’s what it says when I type Natura Morta into Google Translate, which is so smart that it knows the language is Italian. The original album cover depicts a grand piano covered in rotting fruit, a typical mischievous Marchetti composition for a still life. He seemed to have a mischievous streak in him. But I really don’t know anything about him or his intentions for this music. This is convenient because I can bastardize the music with abandon. He probably wouldn't have minded such mischief.

I know little about this music other than I like it a lot. It is one of my favorite pieces of music. The (reissue) LP literally resides in my desert-island, emergency-fire crate (a rope-handled wood box so heavy, the vinyl & I are sure to perish in an actual fire). Despite holding it in such vaulted status, I never heard the piece in its entirety until I started to play it.

Because when I listened to Natura Morta, I would always get lost.

Lost in thought.

Lost in deep space.

Lost in sleep, mainly.

And when I started playing it, I still got lost. The piece is long, for starters … 71 minutes in the 21st century is an aeon. Natura Morta stays true to its name (remember, Still Life). It captures a mood, a vibe, an atmosphere & stays there the entire time. There is no progression, no variation & it’s easy to lose focus.

Because the original centered around the piano sustain, I used a natural 14 second reverb from an old abandoned army magazine near Vallejo, CA as my saxophone sustain.

My friend -- brother really -- Kevin Corcoran, is the observer who gradually gets lost and does his own thing, adding his explorations and found sound intentions to this piece. With his contribution, it became something else. WIth minimal mixing, editing & trimming, it eventually turned into this thing we have here.

Many thanks to Kevin and Jen Boyd for making this space available way back when.

Special thanks and love to Karlos Rene Ayala for making a separate trek with me to capture the feel of the space in photographs.

credits

released February 9, 2024

Davy Bui - Sax, recording, mixing

Kevin Corcoran - Observer, field recording, found sounds, found percussion, b&w photography

Karlos Rene Ayala - color photography

Photographs included as bonus items.

Mastered by Sean McCann
Originally recorded 2015.

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MKDVB Sacramento, California

Music For Seekers.

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