5ohm Records in association with 12VoltArts and Sound Ranch Recordings is pleased to announce The Jazz Subversives’ GroundSwell. The recording marks the first official product by the newly minted Seattle record label 5ohm. GroundSwell is a soundtrack to the 14 art pieces of the same name produced by painter Micah Crandall-Bear and photographer John Johnson. Johnson penned the record as a vehicle to further the art exhibit’s message with music and sound creating a new dimension for the work.
“I set out to put a voice to the art. The meaning behind GroundSwell is to examine the health risks and benefits of what we are doing to our natural environment,” Johnson said of the composition. “I wanted to make a record that was both soothing and jarring–that would both entrance the listener but also shock and dismay.”
The record is the second by The Jazz Subversives, a group that shifts out members to develop a specific sound depending on the project. This recording saw the return of Ray (Rafeas) Kamen, a Czech-born keyboard experimentalist known for his use of effects and prepared piano. Kamen lent his hand from his hometown outside of Prague, and recorded other parts while in Seattle. Also featured on the record is rap artist Sean LaMar of Sacramento’s DLRN, and vocalist Angel Lee.
The record is available at 5ohm.com and on iTunes. There are is a producer’s edition and ‘separated tracks’ version.