Cinq Clatitudes Au Bord De La Mer
by Land of Triangles
Land of Triangles rediscovers, reimagines and revitalises the work of composer Erik Satie (1866 – 1925). Satie was almost certainly on the autistic spectrum and his man
y eccentricities when seen through the lens of autism clearly reflect current diagnostic criteria. The allocation of posthumous diagnoses to past creative artists is controversial, but LOT believes it is impossible to separate the creative output of any human from their corporeal existence.
Satie's use of free time, lack of key signatures and partial melodic formations make his music truly modern. He was an iconoclast and an absurdist both in his music and writing. He was one of the first composers to compose film music and to create ambient music – music not meant to be listened to! His famous works, the Gymnopedies and Gnossienne, have become linked in the public imagination with trite, sentimental advertisements and films belying the revolutionary nature of his compositions and the structural disinhibitions which he used.
Collaborations with Jean Cocteau, Man Ray and Pablo Picasso typified Satie's interdisciplinary avant-gardism. He cheekily titles some of his later works "True Flabby Preludes (for a Dog)" or "Bureaucratic Sonatina" - thumbing his nose at the establishment. Outside of the conventions of the time, Erik's signature sound shone. Brief piano moods, save for the epic Socrate and surreal ballets Mercure and Relâche, defined his oeuvre. His style resonated through Debussy, Ravel, Poulenc, Cage, Eno, Part and beyond.
Beyond his artistic nonconformity, Satie cultivated an inimitable public persona. His ostentatious attire, absurdist piece titles, and refusal to conform to bourgeois norms reflected the irreverence of his work. Though brief in form, Satie's innovative piano compositions and stylistic influence fundamentally shaped 20th-century music.
The use of work by an established artist who is not universally acknowledged to have been on the spectrum is our reference to society's reluctance to accept that disability can and does significantly shape the cultural landscape of our world.
Credits
Released August 2, 2023
Land of Triangles is Richard Butchins ably assisted by Patrick Knill.
RB: is keyboards, banjo, guitar, voice, field recordings, and aggravated assault against arranging.
PK: is piano, mastering, midi manipulation, and sitting still with beatific patience.
Additional field recordings courtesy of Alphabet Dust.