KEVIN KELLER: Evensong to Arcadia

(AUDIO INTERVIEW + MUSIC MIX)

On this new installment of Journeys to the Infinite, I welcome back Kevin Keller, a New York-based composer whose music navigates the intersections of the ancient and the modern, the earthly and the celestial.

Even today, in his 50s, Kevin carries the youthful wonder he felt when he first watched 2001: A Space Odyssey and Altered States, movies that ignited his interest in consciousness, memory, dreams, and the boundary between inner and outer worlds. That same curiosity soon found its voice in music, where he discovered a medium capable of expressing what words could not. According to his story, he first became fascinated with music as a teenager while growing up in Northern California. He taught himself to read musical scores so that he could play Debussy on the piano and later discovered the electronic works of Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, and Brian Eno. These early influences shaped his music style, becoming a guiding compass for his own creative journey. Kevin describes his albums not merely as collections of songs, but as cinematic explorations of themes such as the death of a loved one (as in "Intermezzo"), personal transformation (as in "The Day I Met Myself"), or near-death experiences (as in "The Front Porch of Heaven"). Each album returns to a central question: “Where are we from? Where are we going?”

Keller's music has been showcased on numerous radio programs and has earned several awards. Additionally, he has written compositions for dance, film, and television, infusing his personal perspective into a wide range of artistic areas.

In today's episode, we will focus on "Arcadia," his latest album, and its connection to his previous recording, "Evensong." These two releases serve as companion chapters in his ongoing musical narrative, characterized by both historic and timeless references, as well as personal and transcendent elements. It is a privilege to have Kevin with us, and I invite you to join me in this new conversation with one of ambient music’s most distinctive voices.

audio interview (23 min.) + music mix (30 min).

LINKS:

KEVIN KELLER site: https://www.kevinkeller.com/

KEVIN KELLER Bandcamp: https://kevinkeller.bandcamp.com/

DONATE TO SUPPORT THE SHOW https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/journeys2theinfinite