Joseph Benzola’s Amanita Music

Joseph Benzola is an independent multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer living in NY. He does not conform to one discipline’ idiom~ or theory, but embraces all types of music’s and playing philosophies. He does not see a dichotomy between written or improvised, acoustic or electric, real time or sequenced, jazz, classical, rock, world music, etc. Instead,…

Joseph Benzola is an independent multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer living in NY. He does not conform to one discipline’ idiom~ or theory, but embraces all types of music’s and playing philosophies.

He does not see a dichotomy between written or improvised, acoustic or electric, real time or sequenced, jazz, classical, rock, world music, etc. Instead, he sees theses various visions as tools for his own unique musical concepts. The music of Benzola does not keep various disciplines placed in separate boxes, but rather allows the ideas of Sun Ra, Coltrane, Miles, Monk, and Taylor to dance with Africa, India, Bali, Cage, Xenakis, Stockhausen, and Varese.

The unifying center to his musical/sound universe is the gathering of these concepts in a creative improvised setting, how various sound/musical environments can co-exist in seemingly unrelated manners. There is a very free use of rhythm. Many times, the rhythm/flow of a piece will dictate all other elements to follow. So, rhythm is not used as a straight “four on the floor” dance center, but rather draws all sound/musical elements into its flow.

Also of importance is the use of juxtaposed timbres and sound elements in replacement of so called diatonic melodies and tonal harmonies. My compositions bare very little resemblance to the western song tradition, but rather follow their own structural path.

homemademusic.com circa 2000


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2 responses to “Joseph Benzola’s Amanita Music”

  1. Stephen Avatar
    Stephen

    You wouldn’t happen to know how to get in touch with Joseph would you?

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