Now and Xen

"Welcome to Accordion August!" I mean… Today on the podcast we talk shop with Dr. Lore Amenabar Larrañaga, accordion extraordinaire! She has put out a new CD: "Ispilu: Works for Quarter-Tone Accordion" featuring some of the most stunning contemporary quarter-tone accordion compositions of the day. Be sure to check it out after you listen to the episode. All music is from the new album: L'eaurelle - Veli Kujala Die Stimme der Stadt - Christopher Fox L'eaurelle - Veli Kujala Barafostus' Dreame - David Gorton Permissible Self-Expression -  Michael Finnissy L'eaurelle - Veli Kujala Crystalline Air - Electra Perivolaris Barafostus' Dreame - David Gorton Check out "ISPILU" (meaning "mirror") here! https://www.loreamenabar.com/work Socials: https://www.instagram.com/lore.amenabar/?hl=en https://soundcloud.com/lore-amenabar-larranaga https://www.youtube.com/@loreamenabarlarranaga Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen Follow http://nowandxen.libsyn.com https://twitter.com/now_xen https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ Subscribe RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n… Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH… Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA

"Welcome to Alien August!" Elaine Walker comes down from her celestial spaceship to give us the scoop on her microtonal mini-movie album, "Macrochip!" The album is constructed entirely in Bohlen-Pierce tuning and Elaine created all the clips using human-made stock footage (no AI). The album is classic Elaine, strikingly visual, timbre-rich, and tonal. All music from Elaine's "Macrochip" in Bohlen-Pierce tuning: Red Moon Rescue - Elaine Walker Roboty - Elaine Walker Robot Psyop - Elaine Walker We Come in Peace - Elaine Walker Subzero - Elaine Walker Red Moon Rescue - Elaine Walker [Outro] We Come in Peace - Elaine Walker Check out Elaine's new album "Macrochip!" https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL9-4t4QRF1fmXVJ6Z4KDXVLzudlVKyJj&si=IiKfawfFoteHVPSq https://ziaspace.bandcamp.com/album/macrochip-bohlen-pierce-scale-mini-movie-album Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen Follow http://nowandxen.libsyn.com https://twitter.com/now_xen https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ Subscribe RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n… Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH… Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA

"Welcome to Alien August!" We present our conversation with certified extraterrestrial Tachy Bunker, the interdimensional shaman, conlanger, and electronic dance music producer. Tachy uses a huge variety of chromatic tunings mainly consisting of EDO's, high-dimensional just intonation (including primodalities), and mixtures of these in polysystemic music. Check him out live if you can for his primal energy! Music: Video footage from "Cult of cosmic microtones" Serres Cosmiques [Spiders from Space m. 17] - Tachy Bunker Métastase du Temps [Spiders from Space m. 1] - Tachy Bunker Circle of 37ths - Tachy Bunker Y-axis Overload (x/Yry ∅ 323:262) [Exomusica: Otoacoustic Poems] Video footage from "Treppenbar performance" in Munich (w/ Philip and Stephen W.) Video footage from "Will you join the cosmic cult?" Shorts featuring shasavistic chord diagrams - Tachy Bunker Outro: Monolithe Saignant [Spiders from Space m. 15] - Tachy Bunker Tachy's socials (first two links are the "Exomusica" project!) - join the cosmic cult https://exomusica.com/ https://tachybunker.bandcamp.com/album/exomusica-otoacoustic-poems-v1 https://tachybunker.fr/ https://tachybunker.bandcamp.com/album/spiders-from-space-microtonal-symphony https://www.youtube.com/@Tachy_Bunker/videos https://www.instagram.com/tachy_bunker/ Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen Follow http://nowandxen.libsyn.com https://twitter.com/now_xen https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ Subscribe RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n… Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH… Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA

"Here we are in J.I. July!" Owen Garnder, guitarist of the iconic experimental rock band Horse Lords, gives us a rundown of the band's philosophical and aesthetic visions, influences over time, and a first-person account of what playing polymetrically and microtonally in this band entails. In the latest album, "Demand To be Taken Into Heaven Alive!" we see more guests than usual as well as harmonic ventures into new areas. Music heard in episode is from the new album: Before the Law (Horse Lords) After the Last Sky (Horse Lords) Owen's music: https://owengardner.bandcamp.com/music Horse Lords: https://horselords.bandcamp.com/ Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen Follow http://nowandxen.libsyn.comhttps://twitter.com/now_xen https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ Subscribe RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n… Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH… Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA  

"Here we are in J.I. July!" We sat down for a talk with esteemed composer-performer Catherine Lamb about navigating justly tuned systems, writing in high-limit systems using low-numbered concordances, her 10 Hertz system, and individual approaches towards intervals. Catherine Lamb's website and bandcamp: https://www.sacredrealism.org/artists/catherine-lamb/ https://catherinelamb.bandcamp.com/music We discuss a few pieces here (the music example is from the last piece here): https://soundcloud.com/catherine-lamb/divisio-spiralis-x https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11LBfmirlvA https://catherinelamb.bandcamp.com/album/interius-exterius Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen Follow http://nowandxen.libsyn.com https://twitter.com/now_xen https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ Subscribe RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n… Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH… Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA  

In this historic 100th public episode, we celebrate and catalogue the creation of Christopher Bailey's monumental choral work "Lost and Found Things" in 17-TET. In the first conversation, Stephen Weigel, Thomas Scheurich, Jacob Barton, and Christopher Bailey discuss the process, and in the second conversation, Stephen Weigel and Christopher Bailey dive into the sound of the finished project and some of the thoughts behind the piece. Lost and Found Things: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLby8OiGBluOXVSFLTOC5M7ocZ2Y2WNe6h&si=jVtXWEXVT-ShXrjt (all music examples are from "Lost and Found Things" 17-TET) Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen Follow http://nowandxen.libsyn.com https://twitter.com/now_xenhttps://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ Subscribe RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n… Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH… Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA  

In this episode we talk about UnTwelve Microtonal Recording Retreat (formerly known as "praxis sumer camp") with Jacob Barton, Vito Sicurella, and Ian Blaylock (phlub) in an initial conversation, and then with Thomas Scheurich in a secondary conversation. Most of our topics are on how music making practices and the camp itself is changing significantly over time. (At the beginning of the episode, I also mention the "UnTwelving" conference held by Positionen in Munich, Germany)! UnTwelving program (will we see it again?) https://www.untwelving.com/ UnTwelve Microtonal Recording Retreat: https://untwelve.org/2026 Lost and Found Things (by Christopher Bailey): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLby8OiGBluOXVSFLTOC5M7ocZ2Y2WNe6h Other UnTwelve projects: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETVbr_p23iU&list=PLzY9zzOkuloQK0wv-JUqPhF5id6AXNJp- Support us on Patreon!https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen Follow http://nowandxen.libsyn.com https://twitter.com/now_xen https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ Subscribe RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n… Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH… Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA  

"Join us for Experi-MAY-ntal music MAY!" We interview Dan and Jason of the 32-year old instrument-building band "Neptune" (minus Mark) about their new album releasing June 5, "Play Some Music," in which they fully commit to microtonality. These legends have been exploring found sound, electronics, and scrap metal for years to refine their distinctly jam-based, noise-inspired aesthetics. Among others, the xenharmonic instruments featured on this album include ~10-TET guitar, bass keyboard, feedback organ (in Glass Masque / Oarsmen), oscillators with potentiometers, untuned drum heads, amplified saw blades, bicycle crank arm xylophone, and electrical fan. This episode highlights a free approach to pitch by letting accidents and natural events shape one's tuning, while also making a purposeful effort to stray from 12-TET. It makes me think of Ivor Darreg. Music: Intro: rprii [from "Play Some Music"] - Neptune [28:43]: Glass Masque [from "Play Some Music"] - Neptune [36:41]: Mirror Side opening vamp [from "Play Some Music"] - Neptune [53:33]: Yesterday's Face [from "Play Some Music"] - Neptune [01:00:07]: #42 [from "Play Some Music"] - Neptune [01:01:35]: Glass Masque [from "Play Some Music"] - Neptune [01:03:09]: Furies [from "Play Some Music"] - Neptune [01:05:46]: Take Me to the Mardi Gras - Bob James [01:05:51]: Furies [from "Play Some Music"] - Neptune [01:12:16]: Yesterday's Face [from "Play Some Music"] - Neptune [01:14:12]: My wife's hair dryer [from emoji album] - Stephen Weigel [01:15:08]: Concerto for Horns - Stephen Montague    Outro: The Oarsmen [from "Play Some Music"] - Neptune Neptune, the band: https://www.neptune-band.com/ https://neptune-band.bandcamp.com/ Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen Follow http://nowandxen.libsyn.com https://twitter.com/now_xen https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ Subscribe RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n… Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH… Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA

"Join us for Experi-MAY-ntal music MAY!" Today's episode features Max McCargar, a guitarist, performer, teacher, and polysystemic explorer. In this philosophical episode we touch on what it means to play music live with others, and upon the natural benefits to improvisational approaches. Music: Intro: Ethernet Flirtatious (from snake and slug, rejected) - Sononym Alternate Soundtrack to the Seashell and the Clergymen - LDY BTTRFLY Outro: 二百五 Śūnyatā (from Avant-Orientalism) - Sononym Sononym: https://sononym.bandcamp.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO0Tn4tnRrILUxJuchfbnlw LDY BTTERFLY: https://www.youtube.com/@ldybttrfly4642 Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen Follow http://nowandxen.libsyn.com https://twitter.com/now_xen https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ Subscribe RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n… Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH… Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA  

"April WEATHER… ahem… I mean… April XEN-ther, rain and sunshine all together!" Here we have XENTAR, right after we had XENPILLED! Xentar is a free online tool where you can interact with microtonal guitar tablature, connecting a host of features many had long since given up on. You can create your own guitar songs and share them (with playback), explore scales and EDO's (even harmonizing within that scale!), loop patterns on other instruments, and even collaborate with other musicians! Music: Living Ghosts (24edo) - Liz Graham [xentar rendering] Suite for guitar in 15-note equal tuning - Easley Blackwood [xentar rendering] Sarniezz (24edo) - Angine de Poitrine [xentar rendering] Lydiocaine (22edo) - Xentar Demos [xentar rendering] Find Xentar here at: Xentar.net Some of Ben's other projects https://themercurytree.bandcamp.com/album/self-similar https://ventifacts.bandcamp.com/album/chronic-town https://proletarians.bandcamp.com/album/an-erstwisle-alphabestiary-book-two Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen Follow http://nowandxen.libsyn.com https://twitter.com/now_xen https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ Subscribe RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n… Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH… Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA