Brooklyn pianist Phillip Golub splits the traditional octave into 22 notes for his innovative composition 'Loop 7,' demonstrating how microtonality can create mathematical precision on top of profound emotional resonance.
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Today, the Spotlight shines On Phillip Golub, a Brooklyn pianist taking his music in bold new directions.
Phillip's new project, Loop 7, is a set of minimalist compositions performed on a piano tuned to 22 notes per octave instead of the usual 12. Working with producer Joseph Branciforte, he's created something that lives between acoustic chamber music and studio art.
It's a groundbreaking approach—Phillip's performance was captured on a special Yamaha piano in a unique way he tells us about. The recordings were then layered with guitar, vibraphone, and subtle electronics to create a technologically advanced and deeply human sound.
Phillip has worked with jazz legend Wayne Shorter and brings that same spirit of innovation to his own music, blending jazz, classical, and experimental sounds in ways you've never heard before.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Phillip Golub’s Loop 7)
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00:00 - Introduction to microtonality and humanity in process music
05:13 - Early musical influences and background
08:27 - The journey into microtonal composition
11:42 - What is 22 EDO (Equal Division of the Octave)?
17:35 - The history of tuning systems and equal temperament
22:10 - Notation challenges in microtonal music
26:48 - The relationship between electronic and acoustic elements in Loop 7
31:05 - Working with Greyfade label and Joseph Branciforte
34:20 - The innovative recording technique using the Yamaha Disklavier
40:15 - What is a Disklavier and its creative potential
44:30 - Hearing the complete performance for the first time
46:02 - Working with Wayne Shorter's compositions and legacy
51:27 - Shorter's approach to revisiting and reusing musical material
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Visit Phillip Golub at https://www.phillipgolubmusic.com
Purchase Phillip Golub’s 'Loop 7' from Grayfade → https://www.greyfade.com/catalog/009
or Bandcamp → https://phillipgolub.bandcamp.com/album/loop-7
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