What is improvisation in the 21st century? That is the question that guitarist Jake Hertzog and media artist Adam Hogan seek to answer on their new album a turn of events. The pair combine guitars and cutting-edge electronics on a turn of events to completely redefine how “free” free jazz can get. “We really wanted to understand the interaction between the performer and the instrument” Hertzog said, “and that interaction begins with conceptualizing the ambisonic diffusion technology as an instrument”. The album was created over the course of an entire year that included extensive experimentation, testing, technology development and nearly a hundred hours of trial recordings. “I was drawn to the immersive holistic sound field that can be rendered using ambisonics, and how as both a composer and improviser, we can think about space just as we would pitch, melody, or rhythm. Now with Dolby ATMOS, we can deliver that experience to the listener” said Hogan. Their work is pioneering enough that the duo was recently featured at the International Network for Artistic Research in Jazz Conference in a presentation on how technological research influences improvisation.

Adam and Jake met in their early years as professors at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, with Adam heading up the School of Art’s Experimental Media Program and Jake directing that institution’s new jazz program. Hertzog, whose eclectic career so far has included a collaborations with artists as diverse as Ivan Neville, Barry Alschul, Randy Brecker, and Cory Glover, in addition to long association with Victor Jones and Harvie S, as well as experimental solo and duo guitar recordings, stated: “I’ve always sought out people who inspire me and Adam is that rare artist who elevates his art form by imagining sounds that have never been heard”. Hogan’s diverse career has included work in cinematography, spatial audio, and extensive collaborations with musicians, film makers, and artists. His work and collaborations have been featured in numerous national and international festivals, exhibitions and collections including: Ars Electronica, ISEA, Cyfest13, Smithsonian Institution, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Berlinale, Athens Digital Arts Festival, DOC NYC, and BioBAT NYC among others.

The new album a turn of events blends arts, improvisation, and technology, drawing inspiration from jazz pioneers and electroacoustic composers. Utilizing free jazz improvisational techniques, a turn of events’ music conceptualizes the ambisonic soundfield and granular synthesis as live instruments capable of advanced spatial, musical, and timbral improvisation. “I think both of us really had to learn how to play all over again on this project”, said Hertzog, “and we want to carry the listener with us through that journey."

Produced by Jake Hertzog and Adam Hogan

Jake Hertzog: Guitars

Adam Hogan: Live Ambisonic Diffusion, Computers, Guitar, Programming/Development

Engineered by Adam Hogan

Mixed by Adam Hogan

Mastered by Adam Hogan

Album Cover by Laura Stayton