Anthony Pateras

Chasms is the debut solo prepared piano album from Australian composer-pianist Anthony Pateras. Although placed within the lineage of the Cage prepared piano, chasms takes things further, re-configuring the instrument into a psychoacoustic percussion orchestra, exploring extended timbral continuums through complex rhythms and physically intense performance strategies. Although the work is influenced by Pateras' written compositions, this album represents a more organic, fluid side to his work, guided more by contemporary approaches to electronics than the standard 20th century piano staple. Through purely acoustic means, the work attempts to enhance piano performance via a compositional sympathy with algorhythmic computer composition and studio technology. In its essence, this is electro-acoustic music created purely with prepared piano. chasms represents a simultaneously alien and familiar approach to the concert hall dinosaur, contemporising the sound world of the piano in an attempt to match the valuable sonic innovations of the early 21st century. This is piano music which respects the past, present and future.