Matt Valentine - Omni Love (Environments) (2023)

LE118

I’ve been making a lot of noise/space since being born. Back in 1999 I established The Child of Microtones Terran Library of Exploratory Music with my inspiring partner Erika Elder. It’s more about a small footprint than it is about microtones, although it is about those too. The name of the label was inspired by Joseph Jarman and the Art Ensemble of Chicago. It’s also about freedom, the ability to make a choice. That’s what free folk is.

Artist notes:
I love nature in all things, this is the main inspiration for my music and art… being my sonic dharma. I try to harness what is around me and channel it – the environments have a huge impact on what I create. Living deep in the Vermont forest helps me see/hear the intervals better and I react. I am grateful for my family and the sound/vision of Alan Wilson, Michael Flower and Takehisa Kosugi.
Endless thanks to open minded listeners and supporters everywhere. ∞

The ‘dov_electronics bantar’ is my modified 1940s kay banjo. The instrument came to me in a junk store deep in the Blue Ridge mountains at the beginning of the 21st century. I heard it before I saw it. Erika comes from that geographic region – we were visiting her family. It sounded like an east/west banjo when I got it (maybe more Bengal/gujarat). I remember Erika’s dad asking if I could play something “normal” on it. I loved how it could play microtones cleanly and projected well. It still had the original animal skin. My good friend Barry Weisblat (dov_electronics) has helped me for many years and has built/gifted me many sonic things. He created the bridge for it, which is also the pickup to amplify the instrument. This creation is what produces the jawari (the buzzing strings) which gives it such a rich sounding raga tone.

I play longform music every day. Even when I don’t pickup an instrument I’m playing. I like to get involved in it, that’s my thing… often I can cycle around whatever it is for a long time. When I’m doing that I might find a micro nug to be part of something or I might wanna just linger on, stravaig. I’ve been wandering with music for a long time but really not very long at all. I feel best when I’m within it.

Matt "MV" Valentine: dov_electronics bantar, tambura, swarmandal, swarsangam, prophet 600, mini moog, mridangam, electronic tabla, tabla programming, COMpact effectors.