Circulate Susanna
Artist Statement by Cory Smythe
Even now, very children
Twirl the bell, bullgine
Else Alabama wheatsleep
Turn to mole, darlin
(horserun)
Don’t Susanna rain all night
Dreamin’ magnified and fluid?
Crested industry, wake now
Snorting citizens, bullgine
Fall upon the ground
To gather the wind…
And at the root
In the southern breeze
From the poplar
Pastoral scene
The gallant south
Scent of magnolias,
Sweet and fresh
Here for the crows
For the rain to gather the wind
For the sun, for the trees
Circulate Susanna
Susanna soil flutter
Circulate to mole
Ladies load the telegraph
Weave the ring
Circulate Susanna
(Bullgine / lectric fluid magnified)
Heads gather the stars
Ladies horserun
Twirl the bell, bullgine
Heads circulate to mole
(Double star thru magnified)
Reverse soil flutter
To gather the wind
Sofia Jernberg voice
Daniel Lippel detuned acoustic guitar, electronics
Cory Smythe piano, autoharp, electronics
Produced by Cory Smythe and David Breskin
All songs written by Cory Smythe, Pluripotent Publishing (BMI)
except 11: improvisation by Jernberg/Lippel
and 13: based on “Strange Fruit” by Lewis Allan (Abel Meeropel), Music Sales Corp. (ASCAP)
Recorded by Ryan Streber in October, 2017 at Oktaven Audio (Mt. Vernon, NY)
Mixed by Ron Saint Germain in December, 2017 at Saint’s Place (Kinnelon, NJ)
Mastered by Liberty Ellman in June, 2018 at 4D Studios (Brooklyn, NY)
Album design by Spottswood Erving
Layout by July Creek
I’m so grateful for the immeasurable contributions of Daniel Lippel and Sofia Jernberg. The written music here draws heavily on Sofia’s work, in particular, and could not have existed without her sophisticated and personal repertoire of vocal techniques. Thanks also to Ryan Streber, Ron Saint Germain, and Liberty Ellman for their expertise and artistry; to David Breskin for his illuminating counsel and poetic album design; to Kris Davis; Isabel Breskin; Yesim Tosuner; and to Chelsea Hadley and The Shifting Foundation for making all of this possible. Liz, we don’t ever have to talk about this album again — thank you and I love you. – CS