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Radio ›› Shruti Project

Shruti is a Sanskrit word to denote pitch and interval. A word that also means ‘that which is heard’ and the smallest intervals of pitch or the spaces between notes. The Indian gamut currently has 22 shrutis in an octave. Ganesh Anandan and John Gzowski are two musicians from different musical backgrounds with a common passion for original tunings. They met in 1996 when John invited Ganesh to play in his microtonal Critical Band at The Music Gallery in Toronto, Canada. John works with an array of self designed micro-tonal guitars and stringed instruments while Ganesh has been working with self built melodic percussion and string instruments based on the Indian Shruti system. In 2006, Ganesh proposed a series of structured improvisations using “original tunings” from India, Indonesia and Contemporary composers. Some specific instruments and scales were chosen: John Gzowski plays a recreation of Harry Partch’s adapted guitar, a ukelin and other self designed instruments including a 19-tone equal temperament guitar and the electric dowel. Ganesh plays a self designed 12 stringed instrument called shruti stick which is struck, bowed and played with fingers. He also plays two sets of tuned metallophones, kanjira, moorching and does vocalizations inspired by the sounds of certain Indian languages. Both musicians understand improvisation in the context of “Indian and Western musical styles”. And using these unique instruments their music moves organically from an “Indian melody with its gamaka” to a “western style improvised music”. Each piece has surprises with a rich variety of tunings, textures and rhythms played on instruments seldom heard.

Track Listing

    • 1
      I am inside looking out
      5m07s
    • 2
      At my critical counterpart.
      4m12s
    • 3
      In a new land, no man’s land.
      4m37s
    • 4
      With our intuition and instinct
      2m29s
    • 5
      We listen and act. vocals,
      7m19s
    • 6
      Nothing Is familiar
      4m23s
    • 7
      Except maybe the sounds.
      6m24s
    • 8
      Ah, but if
      2m09s
    • 9
      The left hemisphere should intervene
      4m39s
    • 10
      And intuition should fail us
      6m26s
    • 11
      We would hesitate and fumble metallophone,
      3m17s
    • 12
      While the tape recorder in the mind
      6m41s
    • 13
      Meanders through familiarity dowel,
      4m47s
    • 14
      Past things we don’t recall
      6m50s
    • 15
      To where we are now
      3m28s
Total duration: 72m47s

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