“Asked about my approach to composition and performance, one thought is the reimagining of musical syntax from jazz and Indian classical music through prisms of personal temperament and body chemistry guided by raga elements. Ragas are a wondrous musical form from India believed to be based in divinity, and used as a basis for improvisation and composition with unlimited developmental potential. European classical, rock, and myriad American popular and esoteric forms are part of who I am musically, too.

Meruvina is my orchestra and instrument at once, consisting of a sound module with sampled and synthesized timbres, a computer, and miraculous software programmed to perform my compositions in real time working from fully notated scores. Meruvina is a name invented by combining my initials, MER, together with the Sanskrit word for musical instrument, “vina”. “Mer” was extended to “Meru” when I recalled the mythological mountain where the Hindu gods reside, Mount Meru. My reason for devising a new musical moniker came with the realization that beautiful sounding instruments deserve beautiful sounding names as opposed to technical, scientific designations. For example, we don’t call the flute the “metal blowhole”, or the piano the “wooden-boxed, metallic-hammered mechanism”!”

Michael played selections from new and upcoming releases, Tunis Phantom, Ocean Avenue and Dazzling Darkness.

For more information visit azuremilesrecords.com

Tracklist:
1. Dazzling Darkness
from http://www.azuremilesrecords.com/dazzlingdarkness.html

2. Tunis Phantom

3. Stars Blossom

both from http://www.azuremilesrecords.com/tunisphantom.html