CSO PROOF: The Meta Simulacrum Vol. 1
A collective memory of the future.
A Liquid Music production, commissioned by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and presented by The Great Northern, Walker Art Center and CSO
Members of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
William Brittelle, creation, composition, text, performance
Isaac Gale, filmmaker, editor, photography
Kate Nordstrum, creative producer
Patrick Marschke, project management, text editing, sound mixing
Performances & Additional Composition:
Holland Andrews, vocals
Rafiq Bhatia, guitar, production
Ian Chang, percussion, production
Erika Dohi, synth, harpsichord, production
Chris Fishman, keys, production
Jackson A. Hill, bass, production
Will Johnson, vocals, visuals, void
Channy Leaneagh, vocals, narration, movement
Immanuel Wilkins, sax
Constellation Chor, voice, movement:
— Jen Anaya
Roomful of Teeth, vocals
— Caroline Shaw, soprano
— Virginia Warken Kelsey, alto
— Thann Scoggin, baritone
— Cameron Beauchamp, bass
Andrew Garman, narration
Robert. J. Frakes, narration
CSO Proof
“Brittelle has been drawing from his varied experiences in classical music, punk rock, and electronica to produce silo-bombing music that is at once free-ranging, formally adventurous, unconventionally beautiful, and a joyful thrill to experience.” —The Nation
Using the symbology of our shared past to look forward into an uncertain future of climate change, machine sentience, and the ever-expanding cyber universe, this extraordinary collective debuts the first material generated through the Meta Simulacrum, an interdisciplinary, alternate-reality digital platform designed by composer/producer William Brittelle. This uniquely collaborative project draws from modern classical, jazz, neo-soul, vaporwave, and experimental rock worlds with recontextualized elements of ’80s sound, with each collaborator contributing core content. This retro-futuristic musical landscape is supercharged by the visionary work of filmmaker Isaac Gale and editor/computer coder Patrick Marschke. The Meta Simulacrum Vol. 1 serves as an elegy for a lost future, and a de facto embrace of the strange, surreal times ahead.
CREATIVE CONVERSATION: Watch the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s Nate Bachhuber and composer William Brittelle explore the creation of The Meta Simulacrum Vol. 1. View the video.
This 2019 NPR article (Can Musicians Avoid Commercial Pressure And Still Make A Living? WILLS Is Trying) highlights Will Johnson's work as a songwriter and producer and his work with arts foundations to create his music.
William Brittelle is the co-founder of New Amsterdam Records (NewAm), a non-profit artist service organization dedicated to supporting the public’s engagement with new music by composers and performers whose work transcends traditional and outdated genre distinctions.
Through Liquid Music, Kate Nordstrum has built a boundary-defying space in which artists can take creative risks on projects, collaborating in new and exciting ways. As the founder, curator, and producer of Liquid Music, she has been widely praised for fusing art forms together with orchestral instrumentation. She has been called “the most adventurous music curator in town” (MinnPost), “a presenter of rare initiative” (Star Tribune), and "Twin Cities' curatorial powerhouse with international pull” (Minnesota Public Radio).
Channy Leaneagh suffered a severe vertebrae injury in 2019. Her most recent album When We Stay Alive takes her listeners on a journey, with half of the songs composed before and the other half composed after her almost fatal injury. Billboard interviewed Leaneagh about letting therapy shape her music. She has previously collaborated with Kate Nordstrum during the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra's Liquid Music Series.