Coolen - Gift of Time

In the spring of 2017 Saskia Coolen stayed as an artist-in-residence for almost 7 weeks in the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology in Oregon. Her original plan to improve her old-style improvisation skills was put in a different light by the remark: we don't expect anything from you, take the time and see what happens. "This is a gift of time." She started 'playing' and experimenting. New ideas germinated there. New material in old forms and existing music in new forms. Inspired by early music, the shakuhachi, beat boxes, minimal music, playing with Lego and the nature of Oregon. So everything. Back in the Netherlands, people in her Zen meditation group sometimes listened to her improvisations and decided that an album should be made. Their silent attentive presence at the recordings was essential. Visual artist Margriet Oomen made drawings inspired by the music for this album. A number of these drawings are folded into the cover as loose Leporellos.