SORNE: Difference between revisions
| Line 32: | Line 32: | ||
=== Voice === |
=== Voice === |
||
SORNE has been noted for his wide [[vocal range]]. The singers to whom his voice has been compared include [[Jeff Buckley]]<ref>Lily Ross, [http://www.realitysandwich.com/interview_morgan_sorne "Landscapes of Shadow and Songs of Light:
A Talk with Morgan Sorne"], ''Reality Sandwhich'', 11/8/2012</ref> and [[Freddie Mercury]]. In addition to a wide range of pitches, he is able to produce a wide variety of timbres with his voice. This partially accounts for how he is able to create dynamic and varying soundscapes using his voice for so much of the material.<ref>[http://sorne.com/]</ref> |
|||
=== Band and Live Performance === |
=== Band and Live Performance === |
||
Revision as of 17:46, 26 November 2013
SORNE (born July 24, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, multi-media artist visual artist, music producer, and actor based out of Austin, Texas. His given name, which he is still known by outside his musical endeavors, is Morgan Sorne. His musical style has been described tribal, electronica[1], avante-garde, avant pop, alternative rock, and electro-space-folk.[2] Though sometimes associated with the broad genre of rock, his songs feature no electric guitars, conventional bass instruments, or conventional drum sets. His music utilizes layered vocal samples and unconventional (mostly hand-made) instrumentation[3].
He was a Texas Biennial artist in 2009 and 2011.[4][5] In 2013, SORNE won The Austin Chronicle’s 2013 Avant Garde Artist of the Year award.[6]
Some of the artists with whom SORNE has performed on the same bill include TV on the Radio, James Blake, Little Dragon, Beats Antique, Dr. Dog, Gang Gang Dance, The Glitch Mob, Bassnectar, Kaki King, [[Bluetech, Lucent Dossier Experience, Maps & Atlases, Casiokids, Art vs. Science, Avi Buffalo, Keller Williams, Dawes, Blitzen Trapper, Dillon Francis and [[Rubblebucket].][7][8]
Biography
Early Life and Education
Morgan Sorne was born in Tallahassee, Florida on July 24th, 1983.[9] He was raised in a Christian setting but does not consider himself to be religious. His mother, an opera singer, had a vocal teacher who noticed that Morgan had perfect pitch when he was two years old. He was enrolled, as a young child, in a music class but he hated it and threw a maraca at another child. He never continued any sort of formal music education. He did do stage acting, including musical theatre. He also studied the visual arts and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art from Florida State University where he studied from 2002-2004.[10]
Austin Texas
Morgan Sorne moved to Texas in 2007 to paint, compose, and collaborate with other artists.[11] He became recognized in Austin for his visual art [12] and was a Texas Biennial artist in 2009 and 2011.[13][14] Before joining with his bandmates and developing his current stage show, he began his live musical performances by “setting up installations in galleries, doing drawings, and singing and building a vocal landscape - adaptations of songs, motifs out of songs - letting those things just fill a room.”[15] His short film, SORNE: Children of the Black Mountain, premiered at the SXSW film festival in 2012[16]. In 2013 In 2013, SORNE won the Austin Chronicle’s 2013 Avant Garde Artist of the Year award.[17]
House of Stone Saga
SORNE has written over 80 songs which tell the story of the House of Stone Saga through the points of view of the five main characters: First Born, Second Sun, Black Sister, Little Brother, and Blue Sister. House of Stone is the name of both the entire saga and the first album, which was released in 2011 and features 13 songs.[18][19] The House of Stone Saga is “an epic tale of five siblings coming to terms with their suffering, seeking atonement, salvation, redemption, freedom and to defend what remains of their heritage, in the wake of their father's untimely death at the hands of the First Born son”[20]. “Set in no particular time or place, the story speaks of family relationships, focusing on the death of the father and highlighting Sorne’s obsession with the Divine Mother. House of Stone grew in his mind for years, the characters initially born as direct reflections of his mother and her siblings. House of Stone evolved from childhood views of family into characters with a life of their own, each representing, in Sorne’s words, ‘archetypes of the human condition.’”[21] Speaking on the origins of the House of Stone saga, SORNE has said “I guess it started with a series of short stories that I wrote when I was 17 or 18 years old. These stories were based on family members. I always felt drawn to finding a harmony between storytelling, music, art, and performance.”[22]
The House of Stone Saga is told through several media of art, in addition to the songs. SORNE has made illustrations of the characters and important symbols from the story, written descriptions of the characters and story synopsis, music videos depicting the characters and moments of the story,[23] and a short film, SORNE: Children of the Black Mountain, which premiered at the SXSW film festival in 2012[24].
Musical Artistry
Style
SORNE is known for “the use of only the voice, homemade instruments and found objects”[25] in his recordings. The musical style has been described tribal, electronica[26], avante-garde, avant pop, alternative rock, and electro-space-folk.[27] In addition to the “tribal” description, some of his music has been specifically noted as having a Native American sound. Sorne has replied “I’m not taking specific pieces from a Native American rain dance and reappropriating that for my own means. I’m creating my own work. And if that speaks to those things, then that’s fine, because it speaks to that underlying current of humanity that exists in all of us. It’s interesting because I never really had the intention of creating something that was ‘tribal.’ That primitive element there speaks to almost a childlike desire to create our own culture. The outfits that you see on the kids on that album were inspired by a bunch of little girls that I know.”[28]
Elaborating on how his music got it’s tribal sound he has said the following: “I was like, 'Okay, well what’s the aesthetic for what I’m trying to do? What is my sound?' It brought me back to an old tape my mom has of me at two singing and making beats. This polyrhythmic kind of a beat. I’m like, 'Oh wow. I’ve always had that rhythm in me. I like to sing and I like to make rhythm.' This is a means for me to reconnect with myself, and I’d say that those primitive elements came out of a very simple compulsion to connect with that very basic human element.”[29]
Voice
SORNE has been noted for his wide vocal range. The singers to whom his voice has been compared include Jeff Buckley[30] and Freddie Mercury. In addition to a wide range of pitches, he is able to produce a wide variety of timbres with his voice. This partially accounts for how he is able to create dynamic and varying soundscapes using his voice for so much of the material.[31]
Band and Live Performance
SORNE performs and tours with two other musicians: Kevin Naquin and Deano.[32] Live shows consist of primarily live vocals, sampled vocals and other pre-recorded sounds, live drums, and occasionally incorporate other instruments as well.[33] SORNE has been described as seeming as though he is in a trance in his live performance. SORNE describes the early development of his live act, before teaming up with the other bandmates, as “setting up installations in galleries, doing drawings, and singing and building a vocal landscape - adaptations of songs, motifs out of songs - letting those things just fill a room.”[34] His stage performances often feature an array of the visual art he has made for the House of Stone Saga. Some performances have featured live choreographed dance through collaboration with the dance group Woven Feet.[35]
Critical reception
SORNE has recieved much critical praise. The following are some examples:
"A wonderful brand of twisted, deeply textured abstract pop. Sonically and conceptually it reaches beyond genre definition." – Bowlegs Music
"Nonconformist in nature, brilliant in execution. This is absolutely phenomenal in every sense of the word. Music cannot get more unique and authentic as this." – Sputnik Music #4 of their Best of 2011 list
"SORNE sounds of the future gawking at you with a gaping mouth, fearlessly and enveloped in mysticism. They will make you lose your mind." – Red River Noise
"A wonderful brand of twisted, deeply textured abstract pop. Sonically and conceptually it reaches beyond genre definition." – Bowlegs Music
"Nonconformist in nature, brilliant in execution. This is absolutely phenomenal in every sense of the word. Music cannot get more unique and authentic as this." – Sputnik Music
"A conceptual, wide screen epic that unfolds in shivering awe." – Doug Freeman of the Austin Chronicle
"Echoes of Tv on the Radio’s ghostly pop." – San Francisco’s Bold Italic
"Sounds like Anthony and the Johnsons inhabiting the more esoteric realms of the Mars Volta." – Austin Powell of the Austin Chronicle
"Somewhere in the same realm as Yeasayer’s psychedelic pop." – Austin 360
"I definitely recommend going to the show and witnessing the otherworldly artistic performance for yourself." – OVRLD
"Theatrical creativity at its finest. This one deserves your complete attention." – Austin Music Weekly
"Completely blown away." – Peel Post
"SORNE literally took the audience into ritual trance and showed them the beauty of the human experience with rhythm, storytelling and vocal melodies. By the end, the entire audience was building a giant cone of power letting the musical priests on stage take the energy and release it into the multi-verse. I knew magick was afoot because once they left the stage, I wanted to smoke an after sex cigarette." - Americanamagic.com/blog.html [36]
References
- ^ Cameron Turner, "A Constant State of Awe: An Interview with Morgan Sorne", Newfound, Volume 3, Issue 3, Fall 2012
- ^ [1]
- ^ http://www.newfoundjournal.org/archives/volume-3/issue-3/interview-sorne/
- ^ Austin Powell, "Wednesday Rewind", The Austin Chronicle, 6/1/2013
- ^ http://www.linkedin.com/in/morgansorne
- ^ "Austin Music Awards", The Austin Chronicle, 2013
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ [4]
- ^ OVRLD Crew, "AN INTERVIEW WITH SORNE AUSTINS SHAMAN SHOWMAN", OVRLD, 2/1/2013
- ^ Cameron Turner, "A Constant State of Awe: An Interview with Morgan Sorne", Newfound, Volume 3, Issue 3, Fall 2012
- ^ Doug Freeman, "Sorne", The Austin Chronicle, 2/25/2011
- ^ Austin Powell, "Wednesday Rewind", The Austin Chronicle, 6/1/2013
- ^ http://www.linkedin.com/in/morgansorne
- ^ Lily Ross, "Landscapes of Shadow and Songs of Light: A Talk with Morgan Sorne", Reality Sandwhich, 11/8/2012
- ^ [5]
- ^ "Austin Music Awards", The Austin Chronicle, 2013
- ^ [6]
- ^ [7]
- ^ http://www.agentred.net/mgmt/mgmtmusic/30.html
- ^ http://madisonhouseinc.com/sorne-0
- ^ Lily Ross, "Landscapes of Shadow and Songs of Light: A Talk with Morgan Sorne", Reality Sandwhich, 11/8/2012
- ^ [8]
- ^ [9]
- ^ http://themintla.com/show.cfm?id=102717
- ^ Cameron Turner, "A Constant State of Awe: An Interview with Morgan Sorne", Newfound, Volume 3, Issue 3, Fall 2012
- ^ http://www.reverbnation.com/sorne/bio
- ^ OVRLD Crew, "AN INTERVIEW WITH SORNE AUSTINS SHAMAN SHOWMAN", OVRLD, 2/1/2013
- ^ OVRLD Crew, "AN INTERVIEW WITH SORNE AUSTINS SHAMAN SHOWMAN", OVRLD, 2/1/2013
- ^ Lily Ross, "Landscapes of Shadow and Songs of Light: A Talk with Morgan Sorne", Reality Sandwhich, 11/8/2012
- ^ [10]
- ^ [11]
- ^ [12]
- ^ Lily Ross, "Landscapes of Shadow and Songs of Light: A Talk with Morgan Sorne", Reality Sandwhich, 11/8/2012
- ^ Lily Ross, "Landscapes of Shadow and Songs of Light: A Talk with Morgan Sorne", Reality Sandwhich, 11/8/2012
- ^ [13]
External Links
Request review at WP:AFC
 | This article, SORNE, has recently been created via the Articles for creation process. Please check to see if the reviewer has accidentally left this template after accepting the draft and take appropriate action as necessary.
Reviewer tools: Inform author |