Cole Pulice ~ Land’s End Eternal

Key Takeaways

• Pulice adds electric guitar to sax-driven experimental sound
• Album recorded in Bay Area, released on LEAVING Records
• Uses expression pedals for live sax synth-like textures
• Features Bay Area guitarists, brass, vocalist on nine‑minute climax
• Draws from avant‑garde influences like Oliveros and Lucier

Pulse Analysis

Cole Pulice has spent a decade refining a unique signal‑processing rig that turns a traditional saxophone into a live‑synth instrument. By layering expression‑pedal‑controlled pitch shifters, sustain freeze effects, and a vintage Yamaha WX5 wind synth, Pulice creates dense harmonic clusters that blur the line between acoustic and electronic timbres. This technical foundation, honed while arranging for the Afrobeat collective Black Market Brass, provides the backbone for *Land’s End Eternal* and positions the album within a lineage of experimental jazz that values texture as much as melody.

The unexpected addition of an electric guitar marks a pivotal shift in Pulice’s compositional approach. Borrowed from collaborator Lynn Avery, the instrument arrived without the historical baggage of Pulice’s previous gear, prompting a fresh perspective on long‑standing motifs. Drawing inspiration from avant‑garde pioneers like Pauline Oliveros and Alvin Lucier, as well as improvisers such as Loren Connors, Pulice weaves guitar lines into the existing sax‑driven framework, culminating in a nine‑minute climax that layers brass, vocals, and multiple guitars. This synthesis of old and new demonstrates how a single, unfamiliar tool can unlock new melodic possibilities while preserving the artist’s signature “out‑of‑time but together” feel.

Beyond the music itself, the album underscores the vitality of the Bay Area’s independent scene. Mixed and mastered by Chuck Johnson and released on Matthewdavid’s LEAVING label, *Land’s End Eternal* benefits from the region’s legacy of electroacoustic experimentation rooted in institutions like Mills College. Its reception signals a growing appetite for boundary‑pushing projects that fuse jazz improvisation with studio‑grade sound design, suggesting that other experimental artists may look to similar West Coast collaborations to broaden their sonic vocabularies.