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KENNETH ATCHLEY is a sound, video, and installation artist who fashions and performs works ranging from pure-tone and noise hymns to distortion-studded, richly harmonic, electro-acoustic devotionals. His work has long focused on creating platforms that allow an absorbed, immersive attention. His latest work also alludes to ways in which this type of attention exerts a "gravity" that alters the subjective world.
In late winter of 2006, Atchley began composing a set of works for strings titled, 7 stillnesses. The title refers not to a determinable number of "stillnesses"; but is more a mythic use of number to refer to subjective experiences for which the pieces serve as platforms. The writing extends techniques that Atchley developed in his electronic work in which richly and densely harmonic sounds (including noise) are stacked to create extended moments of intricate and nuanced sound. In 7 stillnesses, the stacks are created from the combined harmonics of individual string instruments and present pared down, absorbing, tonal sound-planes.
Since 1997, his work has included the use of fountains as sound-sources, objects, environmental and metaphorical elements. His work continues to be informed by and abstract that work and study.
Atchley's music and installations have been featured in venues ranging from U.S. hardcore-noise dungeons and New York dance lofts, to art galleries and performance cellar circuits of Europe. His current repetoire includes "de Quincey Levitation," a work that includes a variety of arrangements: solo electronics, electronics and vocals (performed by Dean Santomieri and Kattt Sammon), and a several videos interpretations. He also performs the assisted-installation "14251" and "Valhalla Chill" a multi-movement composition for laptop electronics and musique concrète.
Atchley's CD of solo, electro-acoustic-noise works Fountains was released by Auscultare Research. The CD is available through and Amazon.com. His duet with John Bischoff has been released on Bischoff's 23Five CD "Aperture". The score for fountain "14251" was included in SoundVisions (published by PFAU Neue Musik, Germany, 2005). A profile of his work was included in the June, 2005 issue of The Wire (#256).