Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith & Suzanne Ciani next on FRKWYS

RVNG Intl’s collaborative series reaches Volume 13 in September with the arrival of Sunergy.

Launched back in 2009, RVNG Intl’s multi-disciplinary series geared towards “celebrating intergenerational collaboration” has proved intriguing from the off, not least for the fact we are still to discover the artists involved in Volume 1. In the seven years the FRKWYS series has been rolling, RVNG have pulled together a truly exceptional cast of musicians from all walks of life; be it exotica icon Mike Cooper collaborating with Moongang’s Steve Gunn, relaxation expert Laraaji vibing off Blues Control or Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece Co. founder David Borden conducting proceedings with Laurel Halo, Daniel Lopatin and James Ferraro.

Having settled into an annual groove in recent years, the FRKWYS series is set to arrive at its 13th volume in September with Sunergy bringing together two generations of celebrated synthesists in Suzanne Ciani and Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. Ciani should need no introduction, whilst Aurelia Smith’s experiments with the Buchla Music Easel gained wider exposure with the release of her third album, EARS, earlier this year. Whereas some FRKWYS projects have taken on quite a logistical challenge, Ciani and Aurelia Smith were discovered to be neighbors in the small coastal community of Bolinas, California.

Having bonded over their shared passion for Buchla synths, the pair embarked on a recording session in the picturesque setting of Ciani’s living room overlooking the Pacific Ocean from a cliffside perch. Ciani’s Buchla 200E placed next to Aurelia Smith’s Buchla Music Easel, the two took turns keeping time and freely improvising for the album sessions. The results on Sunergy are two extended pieces that “seek to awaken and bear witness, employing the Buchla waveforms to mirror the infinite rhythms of the ocean and our essential relationship to it.” To herald the news of this latest FRKWYS, RVNG have unveiled a ‘visual single’ for the title track which you can immerse yourself in below – naturally water plays quite a prevalent theme.

RVNG Intl will release FRKWYS Vol. 13 – Sunergy by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith & Suzanne Ciani on September 16.

Tracklisting:

A1. A New Day
B1. Closed Circuit

RVNG Intl on Juno