I first learned of the legend of Perillos as a teenager – the implications of the story have haunted my thinking ever since, demanding that I do something with it, as a warning to artists (and others) who seek alignment with authoritarian power. The initial form of The King's Tribute was written in 2012, with subsequent revisions made until I produced this version in 2024.
This piece was created with an objective: that music and sound design would work as a co-narrator, not just background filler. In the process, I think I learned more than I had with any of my prior work. What I now call "audiocinema" is the closest I've gotten to express how my ideas resonate and dance (much like what we call "music.") When I experience films like Andrei Rublev or Mirror (Andrei Tarkovsky), or Tropical Malady (Apichatpong Weerasethakul), my reaction is "That's it! That's where I want to go!" …with The King's Tribute I feel like I finally stepped onto the path that leads to such great work. [May I someday reach that goal.]
This may not be my final take on the story – it may expand in the future, or even change form and become something like a theater piece, but, as it stands, I am proud of what I did to realize this version. Please set aside some time to experience what I consider an important step in my personal development as an artist.
On this page, there are two ways to listen to The King's Tribute: you may select the audio-only version that is hosted on Soundcloud, or there's the "looping visualizer" video below that offers closed-captioning, providing on-screen text for those who find it helpful. [The audio file is identical in each case.]
I first learned of the legend of Perillos as a teenager – the implications of the story have haunted my thinking ever since, demanding that I do something with it, as a warning to artists (and others) who seek alignment with authoritarian power. The initial form of The King's Tribute was written in 2012, with subsequent revisions made until I produced this version in 2024.
This piece was created with an objective: that music and sound design would work as a co-narrator, not just background filler. In the process, I think I learned more than I had with any of my prior work. What I now call "audiocinema" is the closest I've gotten to express how my ideas resonate and dance (much like what we call "music.") When I experience films like Andrei Rublev or Mirror (Andrei Tarkovsky), or Tropical Malady (Apichatpong Weerasethakul), my reaction is "That's it! That's where I want to go!" …with The King's Tribute I feel like I finally stepped onto the path that leads to such great work. [May I someday reach that goal.]
This may not be my final take on the story – it may expand in the future, or even change form and become something like a theater piece, but, as it stands, I am proud of what I did to realize this version. Please set aside some time to experience what I consider an important step in my personal development as an artist.
Below, there are two ways to listen to The King's Tribute: you may select the audio-only version that is hosted on Soundcloud, or there's the "looping visualizer" video below that offers closed-captioning, providing on-screen text for those who find it helpful. [The audio file is identical in each case.]