Album cover: A Conversation [detail] by Janet Hamrick, 2018 (oil on canvas, 36 x 42 inches)

tracks
1. Overtone/Undertone
2. Golden Meantone
3. Twelve Primes
4. Ten Tone EqualTemperament

credits
released July 14, 2018
All music performed by Thollem & Clem Fortuna
Recorded at Trinosophes on October 6th, 2016
Mastered by Leith Campbell

The multi-year collaboration between virtuoso pianist Thollem and Detroit piano tuner, composer and instrument-builder Clem Fortuna has resulted in Your Letter Must Have Followed Me All Over the World, a live recording of microtonal piano music. Performed by Thollem on four of Trinosophes’ in-house piano—each tuned to a unique microtonal system devised by Fortuna—this LP is undoubtably one of the most unusual and intriguing recordings of the year.

Thollem performs original themes and improvisations on four pianos in unique tuning systems devised by Clem Fortuna. Clem joins Thollem in performance on Ten Tone Equal Temperament with spontaneous tuning alterations.

While preparing for the concert with these tunings, I decided my approach would be primarily experiential. I thought of myself as a spelunker, diving deep into the sounds of these four pianos to bring up what I thought were interesting and beautiful gems to share with my fellow listeners. For me, the duo with Clem on the Baldwin Electropiano, entitled Ten Tone Equal Temperament, was one of the most fun musical experiences I've ever had. We sat two feet across from each other, creating sounds together and surprising ourselves at every turn (of the tuning pins).  —Notes on the performance by Thollem