Michael Bonaventure

Michael Bonaventure (b. 1962, Edinburgh), composer, organist and collaborator in new and experimental music projects; based in Edinburgh & Amsterdam. Extended cyclic works predominate in his output, which includes a huge body of electronic and electro-acoustic pieces as well as instrumental and organ music.

In recent times he has become associated with the so-called “dark ambient” brand of electronica, and a CD album of his work in this field,”In Tenebris Ratione Organi”, was released in 2019 by Eighth Tower Records. A survey of his earlier electronic & organ music, “Works 2008- 2017”, was released on the Unexplained Sounds Group label in 2017, and most recently he has been collaborating with the Italian guitarist & synthesiser musician Loo(p)cy (Lucia Caiazza) on a new album entitled “Across The Blood”, due for digital release in October 2020. Bonaventure’s sonic universe derives its inspiration from mysticism and ritual, natural and imaginary worlds, astronomical and supernatural phenomena; much of his work is rooted in minimalism and improvisation.

Recent works are “FOCUS” (2020), for fixed media electronics, “Spellshaper” (2019) created in collaboration with James Fulkerson for trombone & electronics, “101” (2019) for electronics, percussion & organ, “Morphology” (2017 – 18) for organ & electronics, premiered in its entirety by Earth World Collaborative in Montréal, Canada, in November 2018, “The Ones Who Rest” (2017) for 10 handbells, “Seven Days” (2011 – 16) for saxophones & piano, an ongoing and open-ended series of “Preludes, Interludes & Postludes” (2016 -) for organ, “Castellations” (2015) for carillon, “Droma” (2014) for organ & electronics, “Green Odyssey” & “Black Odyssey” (2013) for piano, and “Darenth” (2011) for organ.

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