Joshua Abrams - Music For Pulse Meridian Foliation

Joshua Abrams’ Music For Pulse Meridian Foliation is the aural manifestation of an art event described as “an in- between space and access point to a pulsating experience that connects body and land.” Like the action of a slow- spiralling coil, the music information here revolves in dappling light, an evolution drawn slowly, magnetically forward, resonating there and back again. Deep-reaching in elemental movement, it leaves traces and echoes in the air - and in our ears, as our own experience evolves.

Joshua originally created this music as a four-channel installation to accompany Lisa Alvarado’s Pulse Meridian Foliation exhibition at REDCAT in downtown Los Angeles. Written for two violas (both played by James Sanders), harmonium (Lisa) and electronics (Joshua), it was designed to play on a loop throughout the gallery’s open hours between April 1 and August 20, 2023. And it did.

When playing with Natural Information Society, Joshua’s writing is directed toward the form of the music as uniquely occupied by the group. Here, he wrote in strict dialogue with the exhibit, responding with choices in composition, performance and production on Music For Pulse Meridian Foliation. A key interpretation of the exhibition is voiced by Josh in the hand-off of information between the two violas as they weave together from oppositional points across the sound stage.

In mixing the original surround sound down to two channels, Joshua worked toward the small details from left to right, placing former residents of triangulated speaker planes in a congenial spot on our present stereo azimuth - realizing, in the careful growth of this auricular border ecosystem, an essential aspect of the Pulse Meridian Foliation exhibit.