Frog Raag by Evan Shornstein & Will Epstein

Frog Raag was recorded by musical compatriots Evan Shornstein and Will Epstein in Upstate New York in April of 2023 outdoors amidst the sonorous drone of the Spring Peeper Frogs occupying a nearby pond. The unique multi-toned croaks of the frogs served as a drone off of which the musicians began to improvise—Epstein on Soprano saxophone and Sidrax microtonal synth and Shornstein on Buchla and Prophet synthesizer. As the electronic and acoustic sounds intermingled, the music soaked up the environment—at times in direct sonic communication with it and at others, soaring into the clouds. Zosha Warpeha and Kenny Wollesen, on Hardanger d'amore and slide vibes respectively, were later beamed into this landscape to help gently illuminate hidden textures and moods latent in the music’s minimalistic palette. Starting at the edge of dusk, the piece continued alongside the diminishing daylight and towards a hypnotic realm where the frogs’ song reached a crescendo and a new musical transmission was broadcasted in the faint glow of a rising spring moon.

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