Graham Reid | | 3 min read
Koto Meditation
As we mentioned when we reviewed the new album Environmental Music Vol 2 by The Patron Saint of Hummingbirds), this was ambient music with some real thought behind it, not just nod-off music for bath-time with candles.
PSH – who grew up in New York and spent three years in Italy – is an environmentalist, photographer and the kind of person who says on her website that the best way to experience her art is go to her house and have her make you a cup of tea.
She lives in Los Angeles.
There's a lot of esoteric philosophy and New Age thinking on her website but we refer you to her music and photos because they are of most interest to us.
Ceremonial Creation
And we also thought it would be useful to have her answer some questions . . .
The first piece of music which really affected you was . . .
I can remember the sound of the birds chirping outside the window.
Your first role models in experimental music were . . .
I connect with Hiroshi Yoshimura, Joanna Brouk, Nala Sinephro, Steve Halpern, I appreciate music that incorporates the essence of silence, what we hear in between the notes as well.
If music was denied you, your other career choice would be . . .
When music is your path, there is no separation between who you are and what you do, no career can make or break that.
The three pieces of innovative music from any period (yours, or by others) you would love everyone to hear are . . .
Nala Sinephro’s “Space 1.8”, Jade Rose “The Valley LP”, Hiroshi Yoshimura’s “Wet Land”, Austin Peralta’s “Endless Planets”
Any interesting, valuable or just plain strange musical memorabilia or instruments at home ...
I have my father’s instrument called The Stick, it’s kind of like a bass and a guitar in one but you tap the strings like a piano, it needs to be repaired but would cost $1000 so I’m waiting for a rainy day.
The best book on music or musicians you have read is . . .
A good book on sound is Tuning the Human Biofield: Healing and Vibrational Sound Therapy by Eileen Day McKusick, it talks about how sound impacts humans from a scientific and physics perspective. Also The Jazz of Physics by Stephon Alexander is interesting but I can never finish it.
The last CD or vinyl album you bought was . . . (And your most recent downloads include…).
I just bought Jade Rose’s “The Valley” LP on vinyl, I randomly came across her music and felt that this piece is a special inspired creation. It doesn’t have a ton of press, but should not be ignored.
One piece of mainstream pop music, royalties for life, never have to work again. The song by anyone, yourself included, which wouldn't embarrass you in that case would be . .
There’s tons of mainstream music I like, less pop and more hip hop.
The poster, album cover or piece of art could you live with on your bedroom forever would be . . .
There’s a black and white photograph of a waterfall that used to hang in my mother’s house that I adopted and now hangs in my bedroom.
You are allowed just two albums of any genre to take on a month-long retreat, they are . . .
Hiroshi Yoshimura’s “Wet Land” and Osunlade’s “Spectrum”, one for calm, one for more upbeat.
David Bowie sang, “Five years, that's all we've got . . .” You would spend them where and doing what?
In Nature, communing with Nature, Listening to Nature, Loving Nature.
People often speak of certain instrumental pieces as “music for imaginary films”. Is there a piece of your music you could say would fit perfectly in THAT film?
Every single track. You can see a film with some of the songs, called Blood is Life here
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You can hear and buy The Patron Saint of Hummingbirds album at bandcamp here
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