Project

“LAND OF AHH’S” | EP for SCI-Arc Spring Show 2022

Curators

Kordae Jatafa Henry, Jeremy Kamal Hartley, and William Virgil

Type

EP

Year

2022

Roles

Music Composition | Music Production | Songwriting | EP Development + Production | Sound Design | Sound Engineering | Audio Mastering

Brief

Juke joints were safe communal spaces formed by Black Americans for creative celebration during the Jim Crow south; the 2022 Spring Show curators presented SCI-Arc as a similar type of refuge for experimental expression. In the “LAND OF AHH’S” EP, Nathan musically explores the three types of juke joints explored by the show’s curators; Juke Cypher, Juke Hall, and Juke Sway showcase collaborative expression, communal storytelling, and reflection respectively. The EP includes the voices of Cornel West, Mario Gooden, Victor Jones, Hernan Diaz, Kordae Jatafa Henry, Jeremy Kamal Hartley, William Virgil, and Thabisile Griffin.

“LAND OF AHH’S” stream, AKA “JUKE RADIO” (Above)

Nathan Buttel singing through the harmony engine plugin | harmonies composed via midi | Lyrics by Kordae Jatafa Henry

All EP tracks created by Nathan Buttel.

Featured speakers listed as “feat.” - voices were integrated within the music composition, sound design, and mixing process.

“LAND OF AHH’S” EP, distribution methods

Left: “Land Of Ahh’s” Physical CD (Invitation to Springshow ‘22)

Right: “Land Of Ahh’s” EP Stream, AKA “JUKE RADIO” (Accessible to all)

Link

SCI-Arc ‘22 Spring Show: The Land of Ahh’s (Above)

Recap film of the ‘22 Spring Show. Audio created entirely using the instrumental versions of the “LAND OF AHH’S” EP (“Bonus Track 2”).

“JUKE SWAY (Instrumental)”

Music and audio by Nathan Buttel | Dance performance by Jonathan Chan