Yea Big's new album, Shapes Explained: For Michael Costanza, springs plantlike from a seed. In this case, the seed is a cheap end-blown wooden flute that his buddy brought him back from the Bahamas twenty years ago, the kind they sell to tourists in souvenir shops. Miraculously, its humble tones give rise to an extraordinarily full feast of sonic majesty, a roomful of spiritual jazz to lovingly fill spaces hungry for the spirit.
It's the kind of magic Yea Big brings forth every day: since his last record for FPE (2021's An Emptiness Supreme), Yea Big has released no fewer than six albums on his own, an output pretty much on pace with how he does things. Yea Big's not so much in or outside of the box, the way he does and thinks, as he is not really concerned if there is a box or not, and/or using the pieces of the box to reassemble into music. There's an ethos of constantly doing, making, playing, experiencing the wonder of music in Yea Big, like he never stops.
This new one brings the soul of a Pharoah Sanders set on Impulse into the present day, without pastiche or imitation, more like a joyous revel of doing this thing. Stefen Robinson composed, performed, and recorded the whole thing, every instrument, in his basement in Bloomington, IL: not bad for just one punk anarchist buddhist teacher dude. The digital-only release is accompanied by an extremely limited set of unique painted vinyl records by Bloomington artist Dan Garrison.
Shapes Explained: For Michael Costanza will be available digitally from FPE August 26, 2022.
credits
released August 26, 2022
This album is a celebration of 35 years of friendship. We are two floating trees, you and I, grown from the same roots who, even at great distances through time and space, breathe the same air. The music here grew out of a gift given over 20 years ago; a simple wooden flute. Shapes explain shapes and sounds express sounds; that's all there is. I'm grateful for you, my brother. In peace and with love - stefen
Album credits -
All songs written, performed, recorded, and mixed by me, stefen robinson (Yea Big).
On this album I play wooden flute, record player, alto saxophone, bass clarinet, clarinet, harmonium, electric mandolin, double bass, drums and percussion.
Album cover design by me using art by Michael Costanza.
Mastered by Bob Weston, Chicago Mastering Service.
Limited edition unplayable vinyl by Dan Garrison.
Album logistics and support by Matt Pakulski and FPE Records.
Yea Big is Stefen Robinson, solo and in collaboration. Multi-instrumentalist music-maker in Bloomington, IL. Sounds range
from hip-hop to electro-acoustic compositions to free-improvisation. Other projects include Nønl!near Fi3ld (www.instagram.com/nonlinear_field/), Shoshin Trio (shoshintrio.bandcamp.com), and directing the NCHS Experimental Ensemble (nchsee.bandcamp.com). ...more