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If you are feeling the urge and want to make sure you have a first edition LP, feel free to pre-order from the very nice Insound. http://www.insound.com/Totally-Fatalist-Vinyl-LP-Host-Skull/P/INS98873/

Manny Theiner wrote a great article on Host Skull, the "Fourth River" composition, and general HS plans for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Check it out here: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11118/1142357-388.stm

While you're online, pick up the "Fourth River" composition/photographs/essays in digital form here for $3.99: http://www.contraphonic.com/con/sound-series.php

In an effort to clear out some of the archive and make way for all the new music coming in 2011, mainly from a new project called Host Skull, I have released two solo piano pieces. The first piece, Babbage, is broken in six parts and was created while reading about Charles Babbage's work in cryptography. Babbage was recorded at Carnegie Mellon's Alumni Concert Hall on February 14, 2009. This piece was recorded directly after Nathan Hall and I finished sessions on our debut duo recording. Layers was originally in four parts, but will now go down in history as a three-part piece since someone (read: me) forgot to hit the record button. This piece has three dedications and was recorded live at Carnegie Mellon's Kresge Hall. A small bit of electronics was also incorporated and performed live.

The short album will only be available through bandcamp here: David Bernabo, Piano Program: Babbage / Layers

I hope you enjoy the pieces. Happy Valentine's Day/Halloween.

I was lucky enough to be included as musical director for Jem Finer's "Shortplayer" project.  The project finds local musicians, horns and reeds, making their way through a very interesting, shifting piece by Jem, based on his 1,000-year composition/installation, Longplayer. Justin Hopper, who initiated the project, writes about it much more eloquently below. Hope to see you out on Oct 1 at Wood Street Galleries.

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On Friday, October 1, at Wood Street Galleries, artist, composer, and musician Jem Finer presents the world premier of “Shortplayer” – a new live setting of his world-renowned 1,000-year-long musical artwork Longplayer. 

Along with a group of Pittsburgh’s finest musicians, the London-based Finer celebrates the Pittsburgh opening of Longplayer as part of the sound-installation show Audio Space with a live performance of this new composition based on the principles of Longplayer.

Jem Finer is a unique voice exploring issues combining science, technology, and philosophy such as “deep time” through sound installation, autonomous technology, and astronomical sculpture. He has been artist-in-residence at Oxford University’s department of Astrophysics and in 2005 won the PRS Foundation New Music Award for “Score for a Hole in the Ground,” and is co-founder of famed Irish-punk band The Pogues.

The "Shortplayer" performance begins immediately following the Downtown Cultural District Gallery Crawl and opening of Audio Space (including the Longplayer listening post).

Local musicians performing with Finer include musical director David Bernabo, Ben Opie, Roger Dannenberg, Mark Fromm, Brandon Masterman, and Roger Day. Admission is $10 ($8/students).

Wood Street Galleries, 601 Wood St. Pittsburgh, PA

9:30PM - 11:00PM

Facebook Event: Jem Finer's "Shortplayer" - World Premiere

Longplayer website: http://longplayer.org/

Thanks for coming to the new website.  After a long time of searching for a nice tool to build my website, I came upon Drupal Gardens (thanks Lin Clark!) and this is the first result.  I will most likely be changing some of the design and adding a lot of content.  But first a quick update.  Lots of projects coming together this fall.

• Will Dyar and I have completed work on a 7" and are working diligently to get it in your hands.  An LP will follow and looks like it will feature a lot of great guests on all kinds of voices and instruments that Will and I cannot play.  More soon...

• My work with dancer Gia Cacalano is coming to a resting point in the form of two performances on Aug 20 and 21 at The Space Upstairs above Construction Junction.  The performances will feature four dancers, Jeff Berman on vibraphone, and myself on a number of instruments including amplified gong/wood/metal, guitar, and laptop.  This should be a great event.  More soon, too...

• I will be acting as Music Coordinator for a fantastic project by Jem Finer called Shortplayer.  This is a variation on his amazing Longplayer project: http://longplayer.org/index.php.  This will be at Wood Street Galleries.  Additional thanks to Murray Horne and Justin Hopper. 

• I was lucky enough to engineer a new disc by David Leicht and Raymond Morin (both comprise Pairdown). The short album is called Petrifidelity and is a fantastic collection of fingerpicking guitar duos.  This isn't your typical Fahey-inspired raga jammer, but a set of finely detailed, harmonically and rhythmically rich compositions that also groove.  Oh! and it comes with a tab book for both guitar parts for all the songs! Limited to 100 copies, better get your copy quick.  http://workandworry.com/petrifidelity/

There's more too, but I won't go into all that yet.  Thanks for reading.