enter the listening room to your left to hear whole albums or see the music link on cosmicpitorchestra.com to purchase/listen to/download samples of our work.
quotes
"a drug experience for sober people"
- concert attendee
"there are more extension cords and pedals than at a pink floyd concert.
...the amplified cello and guitar launch into trippy experimental music with tribal undertones. both musicians appear possessed.
this is the soundtrack to my alien abduction. "
- duluth news tribune
"i really fucking adored your music; thank you so much; you made my dark day much brighter"
- tip jar note from concert attendee
"first of all i really enjoy the cosmic pit orchestra. simply badass....
as far putting that music into a category... heavy ambience comes to mind...
when i heard you guys at the grace i thought to my self 'what level of heaven have i entered?!'"
- heavy metal musician/concert attendee
"skillful musicians...great to watch creating music live in the moment"
- john ziegler, kumd radio interview
"i dreamed a painting - i think it was a painting? i think it was the cosmic pit orchestra but 'you' were a large bird -
big beak, black wings - your neck moved back and forth while you played the cello with your wings? actually i could barely see the cello -
i decided it was a cello after waking but really it was like the bird was both you and the cello.
richie [the electric guitar player] was unclear except that his guitar floated and was battered by hummingbirds.
i think he was behind them but i couldn't see him. between you guys were a bunch of woodpeckers on a tree trunk and dead stump.
above the woodpeckers was an owl - kinda hard to see - i kept trying to tell if it was really there. pretty weird but i think it all fits -
i trust you to just take this with a grain of salt. i thought it was fun. i dreamed it the morning after seeing you at the quaker meetinghouse concert.
i may do something with this -
i don't know. good dream anyway. great concert."
- molly tillotsen (artist)
a poem by danielle fenske
see: http://clearblogs.com/frozenlight/ for more of her work.
in the rear of the room sequestered in stained-glass starglow a pink-clothed woman sways and swirls beat, fermata exhale, quiver champagne cello and dark-chocolate drum a chortling guitar flicks the flames of candles on the floor rivers of watercolor rapture rush overhead i reach up my figertips to brush the tail of a trail of stars heads left and right nod loosely in the incense-liquor languor peace palpable softly shocking the scent of wind over water sandals tap to the thunder-velvet beat of an oil-painting stallion flowing fast behind his home is wonderment color like van gogh's tears surrounds me texture of falling through storm clouds taste of lavender spice and ice cream inhale, shudder on the smooth wooden floor of a child lies sleeping drifting and dancing in dusky-lit dreams despite all the demons that cling to my ankles (it seems one is born every birthday) i hold out my palm, into which falls a feather-light blessing in the pastel rivers above the soul of a silent girl twirls and swirls clothed in sunset with slippers of pearl she flickers, waxing periwinkle and tangerine leaping, melting, born each moment in her wild-winged ballet i meet her eyes gazing down, blazing down my soul recognizes myself.
about the cosmic pit orchestra
blending electric guitar & cello, the cosmic pit orchestra creates interwoven, improvisational soundscapes. there is a sense of playfulness in the unexpected turns the music takes. with an innovative use of modes, rhythms, and textures, the cosmic pit orchestra creates a psychedelic listening experience.
the cosmic pit orchestra is a collaboration between richie townsend (electric guitar) & kathy mctavish (cello). richie's guitar style stretches beyond his rock & roll/blues/folk past to the far reaches of cosmic meanderings and spacey moods with hints of east indian music. kathy moves from a spare, bluesy minimalism to dense, full-bodied landscapes. her style has been described as haunting & soulful; evocative of the human voice (see her cellodreams website or myspace page ).