Today, Centripetal Force announces the release of Morning Meditations / Evening Abstractions from the duo of Elijah McLaughlin and Caleb Willitz. Along with this announcement is the release of “Vesper” and Vesper Pt. 2,” the first tracks taken from the album.
McLaughlin, a Chicago-based guitarist who has released three well-regarded albums as bandleader of the Elijah McLaughlin Ensemble (Astral Spirits, Tompkins Square), and his long time friend and collaborator, Caleb Willitz, a recording engineer, producer, and sound artist, are in their element on Morning Meditations / Evening Abstractions, as each musician is constantly feeding off the other’s creativity.
Willitz, who also worked with the likes of Jeff Parker and Bill MacKay, and McLaughlin set up the ideal conditions to invoke the best of their abilities, allowing for even the recording process itself to take on a more spontaneous spirit. The duo set up camp in Willitz’s studio to work without the restraints of time, a move that allowed total freedom to create adventurously. Utilizing a refurbished 8-track tape machine, the pair was only restricted by the 25-minute limit of their analogue reels of tape. With McLaughlin playing an electric guitar routed through stereo amplifiers and various effects and Willitz playing piano while simultaneously controlling a tape delay with a foot pedal, the two developed
ethereal and transcendental soundscapes that exist somewhere between free jazz, post-rock, and ambient music.
For those familiar with Elijah's guitar work, there is the welcome expansion of his sound palette. Sonically the textures have expanded, thanks to the integration of analog synths, tape loops, acoustic piano, and horns. His partnering up with Caleb has this album exploring the worlds of minimalism, jazz, improvisation, and creative composition. Fittingly, these are the musical elements that have put Chicago on the map over the past decade or so, something reflected by the list of guest contributors on the album, including Charles Rumback, Edward Wilkerson Jr, Jason Stein, and Josh Johannpeter.
Morning Meditations / Evening Abstractions is being presented in a 300 copy vinyl pressing. The album will also be available digitally. The release date for Morning Meditations / Evening Abstractions is June 7. Preorders are now live on the Bandcamp.
McLaughlin and Willitz will perform with drummer Tommaso Moretti at this year’s Milwaukee Psych Fest on May 11. The duo’s record release show will be May 17 at Hungry Brain in Chicago, IL.
