Chamber Cartel embraces inner music

Sometimes one simply needs to get away from it all and to shut out the cartwheeling gear-crunching cacophony of the 21st century. In times such as these, Interiors, an album of compositions by Adam Scott Neal performed by Chamber Cartel, is a soothing and cathartic soundtrack.

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Not surprisingly, the title track best represents the theme of Interiors, according to the composer. Guitarist Thomas Avery softly plucks harmonic tones while flutist Jessica Sherer follows an extending melodic line that rambles with fluid grace, bearing a trace of the Oriental in places, conjuring up a contemplative stroll through a Japanese garden. “The composition displays most of the elements I’ve been wrestling with — slow, sparse music, intuitive writing — one gesture leading to the next, gradually unfolding and developing,” Neal says. “There is also a nigh-obsessive attention to a particular detail, in this case, the ‘wobbling’ of two harmonics in the guitar, which are naturally out-of-tune.”

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Shrugging off deeper connotations of mood, Interiors is a spirited collection of exquisitely crafted tone poems. Each song is a precious gem precisely aligned with the others to form a sparkling ring of quietude and reflection.

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“During my studies at the University of Florida, I became interested in focusing on the inner lives of instruments,” Neal says. “By that I mean their intonation and mechanical quirks, their cultural connotations, and other qualities. Related to this is an interest in Spectralism ... which essentially orchestrates timbres by assigning instruments to each harmonic within a single sound.”

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A 34-year-old native Atlantan who lives in Lilburn, Neal is a composer, video artist, and improviser with a Ph.D. from the University of Florida, and degrees from Queen’s University Belfast and Georgia State University. His compositions have been performed in 27 states and nine countries. Currently, he is Program Director for the Charlotte New Music Festival and one of the Artistic Directors of Atlanta’s Terminus Ensemble.

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Growing up in Atlanta, Neal followed a conventional music education regimen (piano lessons, trombone in marching band, church choir). He played in punk, hip-hop, and art rock bands such as Chancellor Dugan, Firehazard, Whitewashed Life, and Azizraelites. He has also subbed on keyboards for the Clibber Jones Ensemble, and occasionally written arrangements. His primary focus as a composer was on rock songs until he entered the master’s program at GSU from 2004 through 2007. “I was interested in 12-tone music and electroacoustic music,” he says. “It was a bit more complex than my current music, but I was still drawn toward slow tempos and lean textures.”

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Softly stated themes, melodies, and rhythmic underpinnings permeate Interiors. Neal acknowledges a debt to composers who share his predilection for writing music that compels intimate engagement. Anton Webern, Morton Feldman, George Crumb, Toru Takemitsu, and Brian Eno are among his heroes. “I like music that takes time to breathe, that allows time to think,” he says.

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Three compositions in particular – “Tèarmunn,” “Adhmad,” and “Interiors” – were constructed using an intuitive strategy. Beginning with a simple notational line, Neal fashioned each successive section by tweaking a certain aspect of the previously stated passage. “Sometimes I go back and revise, so the progression may not always be obvious,” he says. “In ‘Keys,’ I used random number generators to tell me when each instrument would begin, just to make an outline. For ‘Adhmad,’ I used random numbers to determine rhythms.”

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The musicians on Interiors are drawn from Atlanta’s contemporary chamber music ensemble, Chamber Cartel. In addition to Sherer and Avery, the session lineup includes Amy O’Dell (piano and toy piano), Candace Thomas (French horn), Paul Stevens (vibraphone, cajón), Jean Gay (cello), Caleb Herron (percussion, who also serves as Chamber Cartel’s artistic director), and Brandyn Taylor (clarinet).

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“Figures,” as Neal explains, was written for one of Herron’s previous groups, and “Keys” was written for Herron and O’Dell. “Their personalities and interests played a role in the conception,” Neal says. “Since Caleb likes to program extended, atmospheric compositions, I felt free to create a lengthy and leisurely-paced piece. Amy has been interested in toy keyboard instruments lately, as have I, so it seemed natural to include them.”

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As such, Interiors draws the listener inward, encouraging intimate dialogue with the ensemble representing the composer’s voice. The calming voice offers a joyful respite from the din of modernity.