flowermuscle by Jane Sheldon
Once again working with Rainer Maria Rilke’s poetry, singer/composer Jane Sheldon explores a lush sonic space that feels both powerful and delicate, bringing the tools of the avant-garde to explore the sensuality of transcendent experience.
Working closely with Australian audio whiz Bob Scott, flowermuscle's songs are colourful and diverse, in stark contrast to the super restrained palette of her last album (2022's I am a tree, I am a mouth). "I am a tree… lived in the privacy of those experiences," Sheldon says, "but flowermuscle is much more about their vastness, about the possibility of feeling that you’re in erotic resonance with everything else in nature."
"The realm of flowermuscle is this gorgeous plane of sensual receptivity," says Sheldon. "A gently disorienting ecstasy."
Tracklist
| 1. | i am the lute | 3:40 |
| 2. | a god can do it | 3:23 |
| 3. | o you tender ones | 3:00 |
| 4. | we're only mouth | 5:34 |
| 5. | the double realm | 3:35 |
| 6. | flowermuscle | 4:08 |
| 7. | to the rushing water | 6:08 |
Credits
Music composed and performed by Jane Sheldon, in collaboration with Bob Scott.
Lyrics by Rainer Maria Rilke.
Recorded July 2023-January 2024 in Australia, at Sasanqua Studios, Dodgy Sound, The Church, and Studios 301.
Mixed and mastered by Bob Scott at Dodgy Sound.
Cover design by Clemens Habicht. Photography by Jane Sheldon.
With thanks to Jan Rouvillain, who granted permission for his beautiful field recording "Small Creek in Hestehave Woods, take 2" (freesound.org/people/janrou/sounds/459115/) to be excerpted in track 7.
In addition to her deep gratitude to Rainer Maria Rilke, Bob Scott, Clemens Habicht, and Ben Goldberg, Jane offers enormous thanks to: PGS, RB, the other RB, SP, EG, CT, LP, PL, GS, LL, JS and SCO, AE, JA, YT and ML.
janesheldonsoprano.com
License
All rights reserved.Tags
Jane Sheldon is an Australian-American soprano and composer who creates and performs highly specialized contemporary art music for voice. She is an Artistic Associate of Sydney Chamber Opera. Described as “riveting” (New York Times), Jane’s music focuses on the experience of altered or transformative states. See
janesheldonsoprano.com for more info.