Media

Four Systems – Simple Harmonic Motion
Writing in Fanfare, Dominic Hartley describes Four Systems as a compelling exploration of Earle Brown’s landmark graphic score, praising the four realizations for the way they move through strikingly different sonic worlds while remaining unmistakably connected to Brown’s original conception. He calls the recording “a remarkable achievement” and the realizations “hugely influential,” writing that they demonstrate “with dazzling clarity what a thoughtful and imaginative performer can draw from a graphic score.” Hartley concludes: “Whatever comes next from Simple Harmonic Motion, it will be worth hearing.” Link to full review on Fanfare Magazine.

Writing in Fanfare, Colin Clarke praises the four realizations of Earle Brown’s Four Systems for creating distinctly different sound worlds from the same open graphic score. He highlights the breadth of the recording’s sonic palette—from violin, bass clarinet, and percussion to shortwave radio, prepared guitar, and synthesizer—and describes Bickerton’s realization as “so perfectly on point” that it “must surely win Earle Brown new admirers.” Calling the recording “a very special disc indeed,” Clarke concludes emphatically: “this new release simply has to be heard.” Read More

Raymond Tuttle praises the imagination behind the four contrasting realizations of Earle Brown’s Four Systems, describing John Bickerton as “nothing if not creative.” He particularly values the recording’s contemporary approach to Brown’s open score, writing that Bickerton “honored [its] spirit by using 21st-century language and techniques” rather than treating the work as an exercise in 1950s nostalgia. Tuttle concludes that “Bickerton’s imagination opens new worlds” and recommends that adventurous listeners immerse themselves in the recording’s sonic textures, adding special praise for its “outstanding sound.” Read More

Atlas Eclipticalis – The Music of John Cage and Earle Brown

Writing in Fanfare, Marc Medwin calls the performances on Atlas Eclipticalis—The Music of John Cage and Earle Brown “absolutely exquisite,” singling out both the musicianship and production for creating the disc’s “gorgeous atmospheres.” He praises the recording for revealing an often-overlooked beauty in Cage’s music and describes Bickerton’s realization of Earle Brown’s December 1952 as transforming “the piano into something like the orchestra of the future.” Medwin concludes that Bickerton and his ensemble have transformed these experimental scores into “the deep listening experiences they should be.” Read More

In Fanfare, Colin Clarke calls Atlas Eclipticalis—The Music of John Cage and Earle Brown “incredibly valuable,” highlighting its first-ever presentation on record of Cage’s Atlas Eclipticalis, Variations IV, and 0’00” as a trilogy. He praises the musicians for finding “high, even rarefied beauty” in Atlas Eclipticalis/Winter Music and describes the results of Bickerton’s realization of Brown’s December 1952 as “remarkable.” Clarke concludes that the recording is “faultless” on both performative and technical levels and praises the “aesthetic integrity” that holds the project together: “There is so much beauty here…. Bravissimo!”  Read More

In Fanfare, Raymond Tuttle praises Atlas Eclipticalis—The Music of John Cage and Earle Brown for illuminating the “dynamic interrelationship between composer, work, and performer,” particularly through John Bickerton’s realizations of these open-ended and graphic scores. “I love this CD and the way in which it was created, starting from concept and ending with execution,” Tuttle writes, adding that he recommends it to anyone who wants “to hear unfamiliar sounds and think thoughts that they have not thought before.” Ultimately, he argues, the creative relationship at the heart of this music extends beyond composer and performer to include one more essential participant: “the listener.” Read More

Writing in Igloo Magazine, Don Haugen calls Atlas Eclipticalis—The Music of John Cage and Earle Brown “a captivating exploration of chance, structure, and sonic unpredictability.” He praises the performances for honoring Cage’s and Brown’s radical approaches to composition while bringing their ideas vividly into sound, describing Atlas Eclipticalis as “an ephemeral constellation of sounds—fragmented, shimmering, and unpredictable.” Haugen concludes that the release “captures the essence of Cage’s and Brown’s avant-garde philosophies,” recommending it both to experimental classical music enthusiasts and to listeners beginning to explore the origins of electronic music. Read More

Interviews

A discussion with the writer Dominic Hartley about the music and approach for the Four Systems CD released on Simple Harmonic Motion Records (published July/August 2026)

Fanfare published an extended discussion with Marc Medwin about the Atlas Eclipticalis CD (published July/August 2025)

Film

Artistes Burlesques (2018) — A short experimental film I created in 2018, using the soundtrack from my jazz album Shadow Boxes (2001) on Leo Lab Records. The film’s concept was greatly influenced by the American artist Joseph Cornell, whose filmmaking in the 1930s, especially his famous Rose Hobart, has since become one of America’s most famous surrealist short films.