The music of composer and percussionist John Colpitts is as fearless as it is far-reaching. As one of New York’s most in-demand improvisers and drummers, Colpitts’ prolific list of collaborations speaks to his omnivorous and innovative approach to music. He operates at the vanguard of new music, whether working with pioneering composers like William Basinski and Laurie Anderson, outrock explorers Boredoms, Oneida and Spiritualized, or fellow contemporary sonic adventurers Greg Fox and Jan St. Werner. On new album Music from the Accident, Colpitts eschews his Man Forever and Kid Millions monikers to present his most vulnerable and resonant work to date, charting an important period of transformation for the composer.
As its name implies, Music from the Accident captures an unexpected, life-altering change in the composer’s life. In February 2018, Colpitts was involved in a car crash which severely injured his back and left him unable to work or perform for months. Working on new music became an important means of pushing forward through his recovery, which Colpitts deliberately approached as an opportunity to explore new creative avenues. Colpitts’ expressive grasp of rhythm and space still form the foundation of the album. Drums and percussion are entirely absent for the first half of the record, the composer instead transposing his rhythmic ingenuity to other instruments. With close friend and collaborator Greg Fox acting as producer, the pair worked on the initial piece transmuting the complex emotions of the experience into short sonic leitmotifs, sculpting small gestures on modular synthesiser and percussion into longer movements that Colpitts mutated and condensed into musical themes. The album’s subtle minimalism provides a perfect analogue for Colpitts’ journey to recovery: each repetition or delicate shift in tone and texture is almost imperceptible and yet an important step towards the album’s conclus....... więcej