Yea Big, the moniker Stefen Robinson uses for music making, is out with two new releases in the past month. His album "Now is Always" dropped Jan. 19 under FPE Records [an acronym for For Practically Everyone], with nearly an hour of continuous music featuring Robinson and experimental percussionist Jon Mueller. And Bloomington-Normal label No Below Editions releases its second album since launching last summer—a collaboration with guitarist Shane Parish called "Rocks and Water Folded Up."
Robinson said there’s something that connects all his records, which date back to 2006. But he can’t quite put a finger on what it is.
“All through the free improvisation, the electro-acoustic process to music, all of the collaborations I’ve done over the years—I think there’s a throughline through all of it, but I’m not sure if I’m the one who can identify it.”
Besides the close proximity of their release date, “Now is Always” and “Rocks and Water Folded Up” are loosely connected as scores created with artists remotely that Robinson hadn’t worked with before. He plays many improvised instruments on both—from marimba to violin to his primary beat, bass clarinet.
“The collaborators are bringing to it their personal expertise,” Robinson said.
Wisconsin-based Mueller has played Bloomington-Normal a handful of times, most notably as part of pt.fwd’s experimental music series at the McLean County Museum of History. His meditative, repetitive drum scores complement and contrast Robinson’s tendency toward more reckless abandon, honed through religious practice in front of live audiences and a prodigious rate of work products coming out—all while working full time as a high school teacher.
He’s insatiable. And somehow manufactures the time to work on all of these projects.
“I was enthralled by [Mueller] and I immediately thought, I want to make music with this person,” Robinson said.
“Now is Always” additionally layers airy voices over Mueller's repetitive metronome, provided by Robinson plus his partner and son.
“That was really special for me,” Robinson said. “I was working on the record, adding and subtracting things. I asked Jamie and Avi, would they be willing to sing on the album. They both surprised me and said yes.”
“Rocks and Water Folded Up”
Georgia-based guitarist Shane Parish transcends genre with hints of classical, folk, Americana and jazz mixed together to create something entirely new.
Robinson cold-called him.
“I bought a record [Parish] was on—a cassette,” Robinson said. “It blew me away. I always just say to myself, what do I have to lose? I sent him a message with the idea, and he was open to it.”
In more than a half-hour of continuous music, Parish plays prepared guitar with Robinson again adding a smorgasbord of instruments.
“Rocks and Water Folded Up” is the just the second album released under local label No Below Editions, the brainchild of Robinson, Michael Carlson, Stephen Holliger and Eddie Breitweiser, with help from cometogetherspace artists Lisa Lofgren and Matt Erickson. The inaugural release came from Holliger, AKA Swim Ignorant Fire, who will join Yea Big, Breitweiser and Icarus as performers for Friday’s launch party at Illinois Art Station.
“I think it was Eddie who said we should be documenting the scene here,” Robinson said. “None of us have any intentions of making money; that’s not why we’re doing it. We like the physical artwork. We want to produce things that are hand-crafted, lovingly made by the artists who are involved, limited edition and that isn’t exclusively about the local scene. But the first three are local.”
"Now is Always" and "Rocks and Water Folded Up" are available now on streaming platforms and Bandcamp. Custom printed CDs of "Rocks and Water Folder Up" are available at 7 p.m. Friday at a record release show at Illinois Art Station, 101 E. Vernon Ave., Normal. Tickets are $5 at the door.
