Stephanie Richards Debut LP FULLMOON for Trumpet and Live-Sampler

Marking the debut solo record of "envelope-shredding" trumpeter/composer Stephanie Richards, Fullmoon is years of shaping, culminating in a mesmerizing work of refined electric insanity. With Fullmoon, Richards is unplugged, acoustically manipulating her horn against resonating surfaces, appearing to sound processed, only to be live-sampled by electronic pioneer Dino J.A. Deane. Unbridled and succinct, Fullmoon is a sonic exploration of supernatural pulses and groove.

Richards has built a compelling presence in the NYC improvised and experimental scenes, from working with masters Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill, Laurie Anderson and Yoko Ono, to cutting edge improvisers Jason Moran and Deerhoof's Greg Saunier. Meeting through a mutual bond with the late improvising pioneer Butch Morris, collaborator Dino J.A. Deane innovated the use of live­ electronics in the 1980s, working with artists ranging from Jon Hassell to the art punk group Indoor Life.

Fullmoon is a full-length exploration of composed physical space and recomposed musical time. The compositional conception involves a process Richards refers to as re-composition, whereas a recorded composition undergoes a lengthy process of deconstruction and detailed reconstitution. Recorded in 2014, she dedicated two years to the re-compositional process for these series of works. As a trumpeter, Richards explores a wild breadth of extended techniques for trumpet and employs surfaces of percussion instruments as "mutes", resulting in percussive resonating bodies for sympathetic vibrations. The sonic result is taken to be electronically processed however all source trumpet sounds for this record are purely acoustic. Pairing Deane's live-sampling with Richards' extended timbral sphere further obfuscates a sonic input and creates a rich immersive conversation of sounds

In collaboration with music from the record, filmmaker and designer Aaron Vinton has created an animated short film titled "Gong" to be released on April 18, 2018 by Pomp&Clout Productions.

About Stephanie Richards:

Stephanie Richards is a trumpet performer, improviser, composer, conductor, bandleader, curator and producer whose accolades extend far beyond what might be expected of an early-career musician. Driven by curiosity about how listeners interact with music and what sensory variables are open to experimentation, Richards has worked with experimental improvisers (like Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill, Butch Morris and John Zorn) and popular music creators (like David Byrne, St. Vincent and Kanye West) alike, performing commissioned works and her own compositions on legendary stages like those at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Blue Note and many others.

Originally from Canada, Richards has spent much of her career cultivating an international presence while living in Brooklyn, NY. Richards is involved with groups throughout the United States and around the world, including Bang on a Can's Asphalt Orchestra (of which she is a founding member) and through which she has worked with St. Vincent, Tyondai Braxton and choreographer Susan Marshall. She has performed alongside the Kronos Quartet, the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), The Pixies and Kanye West and co-produces the FONT Music festival alongside trumpeter Dave Douglas. She is a Yamaha performing artist. Richards' debut solo album Fullmoon, expected out May 18 on Relative Pitch Records, is one of several projects she's expected to release between 2018 and 2020, each of which emphasizes the experimental nature of her work and the musical possibilities that result from fostering an open mind, creative ambition and passion for the unexplored.

Tour Dates

4/21 Mexico City, MX @ Bucareli 69, GONG Screening/Premiere

5/19 Brooklyn, NY @ National Sawdust

5/21 Los Angeles, CA @ ArtShare

5/23 San Diego, CA @ Conrad Prebys Music Center, Experimental Theatre

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