Can you believe?! This is the 40th episode of AIR, and this month’s guest is American composer, musician, and visual artist Charlemagne Palestine.

Born and raised in New York, Charlemagne plays a wide variety of instruments — favouring hours-long pieces for piano and organ, often utilizing techniques like strumming that he himself has invented. His music is expansive both in tone and quantity, and his style has often been described as “playing an entire building.”

In fact, I had intended the theme for today’s episode to be maximalism — but true to his own rebellious nature, Charlemagne almost immediately rejected the term’s usage in our interview. Instead, we approached the topic of a “total art experience,” the many ways he creates visceral music, and the physicality of playing.

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Music:

From "Four Manifestations on Six Elements" - Charlemagne Palestine (2020)

"Strumming Music" - Charlemagne Palestine (1974)

From "Schlingen-Blängen" - Charlemagne Palestine (1999)

Clip of Charlemagne playing the carillon at AV Festival 2013

From "Four Manifestations on Six Elements" - Charlemagne Palestine (2020)