As a young boy, Carl Stone loved to listen to music, whether it be Japanese children’s songs, Western folk or classical music. Stone’s early fascination struck a chord and put him on the path to becoming a composer.
“One of the first presents my parents gave me when I was a little kid was a 45 record player and I loved that,” Stone said.
Now, Stone is a pioneer in the realm of live computer music, composing electro-acoustic music almost exclusively since 1972. The term reflects the hybrid nature of the sounds and the music itself.
“I use sound sources from everywhere,” Stone said. “It could be field recordings made out in nature or made in an urban soundscape.”
Stone will be performing at Heartwood Soundstage Thursday at 8 p.m. in an event hosted by Pulp Arts. Tickets can be purchased on the Heartwood Soundstage website for $5 to $10, and will cost $10 at the door.
Stone has used computers in live performances around the world since 1986, including in America, Europe, Asia and South America.
He is currently touring in advance of his upcoming record, “Himalaya,” which will be released Friday on the Unseen Worlds record label.
“My previous releases have been archival of works from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s and this is music of today,” Stone said.
Stone now primarily spends his time in Japan.
“I really fell in love with the place,” Stone said. “I love a lot of things about it, especially the soundscape,” he said. “The urban soundscape of Tokyo is truly one of the most interesting in the world.”
Stone’s visit is part of the Pulp Presents series. The series is hosted by Pulp Arts and aims to bring artists to Gainesville who wouldn’t normally visit the city.
Pulp Arts works with artists, such as Stone, to provide them with a variety of resources, like help booking artists and producing multimedia installations. Pulp Arts also has two recording studios and 10,000 square feet of flexible art production space to produce commercial, public and installation art.
Steve Head, outreach coordinator for Pulp Arts, has been working for the company since Fall 2018. He heard of Stone by reading about him in the New York Times and knew bringing the composer to Gainesville would be special.
“Stone is a legendary electronic artist who lives in Japan,” Head said. “When we saw that he was going to be stateside we knew we had to hop on the opportunity.”
Before the show, there will be an opening set performed by Brett Geib and Steven Head. The program will conclude with a question-and-answer session with Stone.
Carl Stone performing at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tenn. in March
Carl Stone’s newest album “Himalaya” will be released Sept. 20.
