2020 in Review - Looking Ahead

Friends and supporters,

I don’t need to tell you that 2020 has been quite a year. Nonetheless, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the year that was, and let you all know some of my plans for 2021. But before I do anything else, I want to tell you thank you. Your support has meant so much to me, especially in this difficult year. I’m honored to be able to make music for you, and I do it with humility and gratitude.

For starters — I’m happy to announce that as of today, you can now purchase a wide variety of products directly on my website! Go to www.michaelmalis.com/store to browse the selection. I’m most proud of the new collection of scores — over 20 compositions and compilations available at the moment. Offering scores for sale is a brave new step for me, so reach out and let me know what you think. And feel free to share with a musician in your life — they make great digital stocking stuffers.

While you’re there, you can complete your holiday shopping by picking up some of the recordings that I released in 2020: Three Pieces for Piano, Marginalia, and Dualisms, as well as my 2015 release Lifted From the No of All Nothing, and the posters and zine from Dualisms. Check it out.

Like many people, I’m really looking forward to 2021. I have two big digital concerts happening in February. On Friday, February 26, join me digitally for a live stream solo piano concert from the Saugatuck Center for the Arts (get your tickets now!) Also in February on a yet-to-be-announced date, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra will be broadcasting a concert and conversation between myself, Marcus Elliot (Balance Duo) and writer Mark Stryker. I’ll let you know the date of that as soon as I do.

Speaking of Balance — Marcus and I will be putting out a brand new album on Two Rooms Records in Summer of 2021. I’m also working on a new record featuring my new composition From Darkness We Awaken, performed by myself and Virago. I have new solo material for a solo piano record. And my collaborative chamber-improvising quartet, Gnostikos, is working on a new project. So 2021 will continue to be busy.

I’ll let you know more specifics about all the upcoming happenings as I know them. But for now, I mostly want to say thank you. We have made it through this wild year together, and I’m so grateful for your support. Onward and upward!

- Michael

P.S. — astute observers might notice that this newsletter looks slightly different than previous issues. I’m piloting a new system where I link my newsletter with my blog on my website. So if you’d like to see previous issues, leave a comment, or share with a friend, you can now go to www.michaelmalis.com/newsletter to see the archive. Hopefully this new system works well. Just like before, this newsletter will be delivered directly to your inbox, so your experience shouldn’t change at all.

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, a non-profit law firm working alongside communities to create economic opportunities, transform the justice system, and promote equitable and just cities. So far we've raised almost $100 for them... let's keep it up!

Just like time, I need three things from you

First:

check out the new video, We Shake With Grief on YouTube! Click below to see it now. Just like its counterpart We Shake With Joy, this features Kaleigh Wilder on Baritone saxophone.

We shake with joy
We shake with grief
What a time these two have, housed as they are in the same body

-Mary Oliver

When I read this beautiful poem in the summer of 2019, it immediately arrested my attention. I was drawn to its inherent contradiction — the idea that we can be simultaneously full of joy and full of grief. Furthermore, the poem seems to assert that that contradiction is not only possible, but necessary: that living this contradiction is an integral component of the human experience. With Two Devotions, I sought to write a piece that captured these two opposing dispositions.

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 these posters created by Zara Teicher. These five prints are all made from hand-cut linocuts that she created based on discussions that we had about the music.

Together, we built a myth-world that draws on the themes in the music. You'll see the playing card motif, clearly drawing from the use of cards in "Five Card Draw." But also notice that the two portrait cards are of "Queen" Mary Oliver and "King" Marvin Gaye (more on Marvin Gaye's relationship to this project next week.) And if you look even closer, you'll notice the suits -- a feather, a mati, a sacred heart, an ouroboros -- replace the traditional suits. There are other details that link these pieces of art together... look closely and see what you can find.

She's hand-printing a limited run of posters for this release. The artwork is 8” x 10” on 14” x 16” sized archival quality paper. Each print will vary slightly due to the nature of the printing process. Each poster will truly be one of a kind. Check them out at the link above -- they are really special.

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