John Cage's Celestial Masterpiece "Atlas Eclipticalis" Debuts on New Label Simple Harmonic Motion

Distinctive independent label focuses on contemporary classical works, improvisational exploration, and icons of the American experimental tradition.
BROOKLYN, New York - April 21, 2025 - Simple Harmonic Motion, an innovative independent record label based in Brooklyn, today announced the release of its inaugural album, "Atlas Eclipticalis." This debut recording underscores the label's commitment to contemporary classical music, inventive performance approaches, and the legacy of American experimental composers.

"Atlas Eclipticalis" prominently features four seminal works by composer John Cage, including Cage's trilogy-Atlas Eclipticalis, Variations IV, and 0'00"-brought together on record here for the first time. It concludes with a distinctive interpretation of Cage's "Radio Music." Complementing these pieces are two innovative graphic scores by Earle Brown, "November 1952" and "December 1952," from his influential Folio collection.

Composer and producer John Bickerton explains how the album came to be: "Cage's 'Atlas Eclipticalis' is the album's foundation. Composed in 1961, Cage created it by overlaying transparent manuscript paper on star charts from Antonin Becvar's astronomical atlas, translating star positions into pitch. The idea for this project emerged during the pandemic lockdown. 'Atlas Eclipticalis' was ideally suited to that moment of isolation, as the piece requires each musician to perform independently-without reacting to others-existing instead as autonomous entities, like stars in the sky. I prepared the parts, sent them to the musicians to record remotely, and assembled everything in my home studio. Though the album wasn't entirely produced until 2024, the solitude and inwardness of that earlier period profoundly shaped its tone."

Many of the scores on the album allow for significant interpretive freedom, giving performers space to shape their own realization of the music. Several works incorporate electronics-particularly ring modulation-to expand the sonic palette. In this recording, "Atlas Eclipticalis" is paired with Cage's piano piece "Winter Music," merging two indeterminate works into a singular, evocative realization.

He concludes, "John Cage and Earle Brown revolutionized composition through their embrace of indeterminacy and open-form structures-a legacy we proudly celebrate through Simple Harmonic Motion."

"Atlas Eclipticalis" can be found at Simple Harmonic Motion [https://simpleharmonicmotion.org/atlas-eclipticalis/] and at Bandcamp [https://bit.ly/3DXaAo9].
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Website: https://simpleharmonicmotion.org/atlas-eclipticalis/

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