Search - David Hykes :: Current Circulation

A single low note resonates. A second gradually becomes perceptible, then another, slowly swirling sounds that shift and pulsate from some unknown force, chords so ethereal they might be supernatural, or perhaps the vibrations of the universe. They are the voices of David Hykes and the Harmonic Choir. In Current Circulation, David Hykes and the Harmonic Choir expand beyond the scope of the traditional tantric Tibetan Buddhist chant, in which the singer holds one steady note and one unmoving harmonic. They also expand beyond the traditional Mongolian Hoomi singing, in which the singer projects soaring harmonic melodies from the overtone series of the steady fundamental. In Current Circulation, the singers create new melodies and chords by simultaneously moving both the harmonic and fundamental notes, sometimes in converging directions, or by holding the high harmonic while varying the fundamental. This kind of harmonic chanting is very demanding for the singers, and can be for the listener as well. The listener may choose to focus on the complicated tunings between harmonics and fundamentals, and the chords between the singers as they move among the notes of the inverted harmonic scale. Or, the listener may choose to let his mind soar through the architectural spaces created by the intangible energies emanating from the Harmonic Choir. The vibrations both define the space and inhabit it, shimmering through the air in a timeless dimension.