John Singer

Todd backs up renown author Ursula Le Guin in her own rendition of this seminal work.

A two song cassette of pieces inspired by the paintings of Barton's friend Bob Kostka, whose work also graces the cover. Side A is "Mountain Ghost Breathing," which is made up of altered digital samples of shakuhachi sounds—pure tones, multiphonics, "flutter tonguing,"—you name it—creating sounds that are ultimately very un-flute like. At one point an ominous low drone, reminiscent of something being bowed, pours in and then out while whispy bursts like escaping steam punctuate the upper levels. It's similar to the way Barton describes Kostka's paintings in the notes as living in that "fleeting membrane between the Void and Form." On the second side, he shows off his diverse shakuhachi techniques with stylized bursts on a piece called "Emerging," a slowish, sparse improv with added echo and some synthesized wind sounds over a "live recording of 4 to 7 foot metal wind chimes in a wind storm," albeit a fairly gentle wind storm. (Erik Bluhm, 2019)

Works for 2.7 Jinashi flute

Shakuhachi improvisations recorded while observing the movement and forms of the martial art T'ai Chi Chuan.