New Music - Gnostikos

Hi Friends,

I hope this email finds you well. I'm writing you to let you know about the debut release from Gnostikos, a new(ish) chamber-improvising quartet that I'm grateful to be a member of. We recorded these pieces early in lockdown -- we met over Zoom, and recorded ourselves in our home setups. The results are pretty extreme -- lots of dissonance, lots of silence, and a starkness that to me evokes the uncertainty we were all feeling in early Spring.

Each of the 4 pieces in the collection were composed by Zara Teicher (the 5th piece is actually the 4 previous pieces playing at the same time.) Zara also did the album artwork above, and she also did the artwork for my recent Dualisms project. These scores are all text scores, providing an open framework for us to improvise with. Zara is one of those rare composers who has the ability to create an environment with a strong character without saying too much. Her music has a presence. I'm sure you'll hear it.

Gnostikos is:

Michael Malis - keyboards, synthesizers, electronics, percussion
Zara Teicher - french horn, harmonium, melodica, ukulele, percussion, toys
Kaleigh Wilder - baritone saxophone, percussion
Thom Monks - vibraphone, drum set, brake drums, other percussion

This album was mixed and mastered by Josef Deas.

I hope you enjoy the music, and I hope you are well! As always, thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
-Michael

Dualisms Out Now!

Dualisms

a multimedia album
 

Out Now!
 

"In truly artistic fashion, Malis has fashioned a thoughtful creative manner of articulating the emotional crises of our times through poetry and music."
- Southeast Michigan Jazz Association

I'm so proud to be able to share this work with you.

There are a few different ways to engage with this project, and I've built a little portal to direct you wherever feels best for you:

https://www.michaelmalis.com/dualisms

From there you can: 1) Go to the Bandcamp page where you can purchase the music and all the merch options, including the zine, posters, and sheet music (Bandcamp is waiving their fee today!) 2) see all the YouTube videos (and listen to the music!) 3) Find a link to your favorite streaming platform 4) Preview all the merch -- see every page of the zine, peruse the sheet music, and marvel at the beautifully crafted posters

Click Here

20% of all revenue will go to the Detroit Justice Center, a non-profit law firm working alongside communities to create economic opportunities, transform the justice system, and promote equitable and just cities.

Once again, thank you for your continued support.

Sharing this project with you has been such an honor. I appreciate each and every one of you. Please be in touch if you'd like to chat about the project, or anything else.

Until next time,
- Michael

Dualisms: New Video + Preorder Album!

Dualisms
a multimedia album

Preorder today. Officially releases on 7/3.

20% of all revenue will go to the Detroit Justice Center, a non-profit law firm working alongside communities to create economic opportunities, transform the justice system, and promote equitable and just cities.

Just like last time, I need three things from you

First:

check out the new video, We've Got to Find a Way on YouTube! Click below to see it now. Featuring the powerful voice of Denzel Donald, this piece is a recomposition of Marvin Gaye's classic What's Going On. This is a special bonus track, only available on Youtube and Bandcamp. See it, share it!

What’s Going On is a song that asks deep questions. Set in the civil unrest of the late 1960’s, Gaye gets straight to the heart of many of the issues that faced society at that time. In many ways, it’s staged as a lament for the ails of society (“brother brother / there’s far too many of you dying.”) But it also strikes a hopeful tone (“you know we’ve got to find a way / to bring some loving here today.”) This classic song transcends the times that it was written for and is extremely relevant to our current era of social and political unrest. Furthermore, What’s Going On has an extra layer of importance in Detroit, the city that birthed this masterpiece.

Almost 50 years later, it’s appropriate to ask: what, if anything, has changed? We’ve Got To Find a Way highlights that question, and gives audiences the opportunity to investigate this question themselves. Some of the recomposed elements of the piece are a radical departure from the original, allowing the audiences to meditate on what has changed. But by using samples from the original track, this piece stays tethered to the original, allowing the audience to meditate on what has stayed the same, for better or for worse.

Second:

Preorder the album on Bandcamp!

If you've preordered already, thank you so much.

If you haven't had the chance yet, that's okay! There are still great merch options available.

 I'd like to draw your attention particularly to the Dualism zine. It features writings by myself about the music. I go through each individual piece, speaking more about the inspiration behind each piece. There's also some images of pre-compositional sketches, fragments of scores, and even an explainer on how the playing cards are used in Five Card Draw. Of course, the zine also features all of the incredible artwork by Zara Teicher. There's a lot in here... pick one up by clicking on the link above!

Third:

Presave on Spotify!

If you use Spotify, you'll have this album delivered to you the moment it's released on July 3. Even if you purchase the album on Bandcamp, do this too -- it helps a lot.

And if you can't afford to buy the album, that's okay -- listen on Spotify for free! I give you permission!

Lastly,

Thank you again for your continued support. It means the world for me. I hope you're staying healthy and safe!

Sincerely,
Michael

Dualisms: New Video + Preorder Album!

Dualisms
a multimedia album

Preorder today. Officially releases on 7/3

20% of ALL REVENUE will go to the Detroit Justice Center, an advocacy organization working on policy solutions to combat police violence. Not just today's preorders; all sales.

Just like last week, I need three things from you

First:

check out the new video, Five Card Draw, on YouTube! Click below to see it now. It features Thom Monks of Rela Percussion on drums and percussion, with video and audio recording by Matt Lima.

Second:

Preorder the album on Bandcamp!

If you preordered last week -- THANK YOU! I'm so grateful for your support, and I'll be following up with each of you individually soon.

If you haven't had the chance yet, that's okay! There are still plenty of merch options available. There's a zine, featuring writings by myself about the ethos behind this project and incredible artwork by Zara Teicher. All of the sheet music is available for purchase. There are posters of the hand-made linocut prints made by Zara.

Third:

Presave on Spotify!

If you use Spotify, you'll have this album delivered to you the moment it's released on July 3. Even if you purchase the album on Bandcamp, do this too -- it helps a lot.

And if you can't afford to buy the album, that's okay -- listen on Spotify for free! I give you permission!

Lastly,

Some astute readers might notice that last week I had committed to donating funds from this album to Campaign Zero, but this week I'm touting the Detroit Justice Center. Yes, I decided to change course. I wrote a long post about this on my social media accounts. If you're interested, you can read about my decision here. 2020 is already the year of lots of things -- let's also make it the year of admitting when we're wrong!

Thank you again, everyone, for your continued support. I'm so grateful to each of you. Stay in touch and be well.

Sincerely,
Michael

Three Pieces for Piano

How are you?

I feel like this social distancing has simultaneously pulled us farther apart and brought us closer together. Of course, it's going to be a while until we see each other. But I'm also struck by the fact that over the last few days, I've been in touch with lots of people who I haven't spoken with in a long time.

That's why I'm offering this new collection of music, Three Pieces for Piano, to you. I want to make sure we stay close during this time of social distancing. I hope it strikes it chord with you, and I hope that you take it with you into whatever bunker you're descending into for the foreseeable future.

Because everyone in the gig economy has been completely decimated in the last week, I'm offering this music for free. But if you have something to share, I certainly won't refuse. Just put in whatever you think it's worth when you check out. Know that I'm deeply appreciative of anything you can give.

And for anyone who is looking to grow as a pianist during this time of isolation, I'm also offering for purchase the sheet music for this entire collection! You'll receive a PDF of the music emailed directly to you. Any sheet music purchases come with a digital download of the recordings.

That's it. Take care everyone, wash your hands, and stay safe! I hope to see you when this all blows over. In the meantime, feel free to drop me a line. I'd love to hear from you.

-Michael