SHAPE OF THE MOON

when the land is laid bare

Shape of the Moon is a cinematic poem project that performs twice a year under the night sky in the open desert outside Joshua Tree. We also occasionally play in Los Angeles, Oakland, and elsewhere. The core group is myself and Bear Glass, but each live performance features at least one musical guest, so that our cast of musicians waxes and wanes with each performance, hence the name. The name also points to the fact that truth, like the Moon, is a mercurial thing. Two people will have differing perspectives while talking about the same occurrence or phenomenon, dependent upon the time and place of their observations.

Each track here is a raw excerpt from one of these sessions, each of which is performed surrounded by an audience which is surrounded by a quadraphonic sound system which is monitored and controlled by someone in the cast, each input individually panned around the space on its own channel and manipulated via various synthesizers. Sound system by Mobius Acoustics. Films by Robby Piantanida.

It’s best to listen to us in the dark or with headphones.

films

live tracks

Papa Bear - bass, synthesizer and Bukola; Yoon Lee - guitar, cahon and saxophone; Matt Yerge - singing bowls, gong and bells; Benjamin Burke - words

Papa Bear - bass, synthesizer and Bukola; Yoon Lee - guitar, cahon and saxophone; Matt Yerge - singing bowls, gong and bells; Benjamin Burke - words

Anthony Bisset and Brian Hildebrand - synthesizers; Yoon Lee - guitar and saxophone; Benjamin Burke - words