This acoustic guitar ensemble springs from a rich tradition of interactive music making. With an approach grounded in Robert Fripp’s Guitar Craft, their material ranges from highly intricate compositions to playful circulated improvisations, from explosive harmonic polyrhythms to haunting melodies that take the breath away.

The Atomic Chamber Ensemble has appeared in and around Seattle since their formation in 1998. They have appeared at Bumbershoot, the Northwest Folklife Festival, On the Boards, the Seattle Art Museum, King Cat, I-Spy, Vancouver TV, and on various radio programs.

FROM THE ATOMIC CHAMBER ENSEMBLE STORY:

The first thing that you discover when you encounter Atomic Chamber Ensemble is that they are impossible to classify. All the categories we rely so heavily upon to guide us to music we like when we visit our favorite music store or online vendor… no help at all. Six acoustic guitars. Their promotional material alludes to “a rich tradition of interactive music making, with material ranging from highly intricate compositions to playful circulated improvisations, from explosive harmonic polyrhythms to haunting melodies that take the breath away.” And it is all true.

Rather than try to play down their range and scope they have chosen to embrace and celebrate it. The very name of the group is a whimsical response to this conundrum. How many times can you be asked, “what kind of music do you play?” before you are forced to come up with some kind of answer? Their standard response became “we play atomic chamber music!” Delivered with a smile, it was evocative and inexplicably accurate, without actually saying anything. It conveyed a feeling for what the band was about. The Atomic Chamber Ensemble at the time of this recording was: Derek DiFilippo, Chris Gibson, Curt Golden, Jaxie Binder, Dean Jensen and Bob Williams.

Photo: Ingrid Pape Sheldon

Cultivating the Beat

Birds of Fire

Vulcanization

Nocturne

Why Be

Prelude Xxii in G Minor

King For A Day

Fermat’s Last Stand