Trove
Ben Neill and Eric Calvi
Trove is a durational ambient musical project created by Mutantrumpeter/Composer Ben Neill and Producer/Composer Eric Calvi. Trove originated during the Covid-19 crisis of 2020, and is created in direct response to the isolation and self-reflection that were forced by the unique circumstances of the pandemic. The project launched with the release of 5 pieces on November 24, 2020, and continues as an ongoing series of 2 releases per week for one year. Neill performs Trove playing only his self-designed Mutantrumpet – no synthesizers are used. The acoustic sound of the Mutantrumpet is captured and processed in real time by Neill’s custom system using the instrument’s 28 onboard electronic switches, joysticks, and knobs. Each piece is recorded as a single improvised performance with no overdubs. The process of making the pieces was a meditative, restorative activity for me personally, and gradually developed as the pandemic went through different stages. The compositions move through a series of chords whose pitches are based on a Fibonacci series matrix. Other aspects of the music including rhythm, melody, and formal structure are based on Fibonacci sequences, which model the forces of growth and reproduction in the natural dynamical systems of plants and animals. Trove uses this fundamental structure of lifeforms to create grounding, restorative music intended as an accompaniment to everyday life activities in these difficult times.