Kristin Rule - Remember, I am (2016)

ALBUM INTRODUCTION - FROM THE COMPOSER

‘Remember, I am’ is a journey towards ownness, a weaving of threads, embracing of death, dissolving of illusions, traditions and norms, the breathing in of life for all it has to offer, an intimate exposé of fallen layers leading to an unremarkable revelation; the intimacy and fragility of the human voice, my own imperfect voice.

This work represents an unmasking, a courageous and poetic act, as I’m choosing to be seen, truly seen.

And so I present this live studio recording of ‘Remember, I am’, a moment in time, mid stride towards that which I seek. An example of Acoustic Live Looping that crosses into the indefinable, with compositional craft and integrity that enriches the live looping genre via the creative exploration of what can be achieved when the music ‘must’ unfold at a rate of one new sound / phrase at a time. All this whilst gently subduing the new technology into a transparent tool, so that the natural sound of the cello and voice remain completely in focus.

‘Remember, I am’ is a fully notated work for Solo Cello, Laptop and Midi Foot Controller (to be performed live with no pre-recorded audio). The cello, my constant companion, is a 130 year old French cello given to me by my late father. I tour exclusively via solar / human powered bicycle and public transport, an act of my deep respect for nature. I neither drive nor fly.

A NOTE ABOUT THE ALBUM ART AND MOVING IMAGES

Whilst walking with my 66 year old mother, 8 years after her debilitating stroke and remarkable recovery, I noticed how she was reinterpreting the world around her. In a wonderfully childlike way, she’d see something that caught her eye, a rock, a feather, a piece of moss, then crouching to the ground with a grace that defied her years, reaching out to investigate, ‘what does it feel like (?)’, gentle stroking, ‘smooth (?)’, ‘rough (?)’, ‘worth picking up for a more intimate experience (?)’.

Further down the path, mid stride, she raised her arms as if taking flight, revealing the scarring of her stroke, the left arm not able to move so
supplely, not able to extend so completely, a lack of control. For her, a
disfigurement, a painful reminder that she is not as she was, for me, something beautiful to behold, a compelling story in a single gesture, a work of art that could only exist by living.

The image of my mother taking flight became the symbol for this album. And 137 natural objects, collected and photographed along the way, formed the visual motivic material for the album art and moving images.
Composing these elements into mosaics, I was seeking to express our inherent innocence tempered by a needed maturity, a reflection of deep intimacy and connection with nature. ‘Remember, I am’.

‘REMEMBER, I AM’ IS THE STORY OF ‘I’ TRANSFORMED.
WHEN WE WALK TOGETHER, BEING TRUE TO OURSELVES,
WE SHAPE THE WORLD IN MEANINGFUL WAYS.
WE REALLY ARE, SO MUCH MORE.

LIFE IS FRAGILE, BE LIFTED, ‘REMEMBER, I AM’.