About
tone-cluster トーン・クラスター
tone-cluster is the experimental music project of violinist / composer / arranger Eric Gorfain. On July 10, 2020, Littlebox Recordings releases KYO SHU, the debut album from tone-cluster.
For Eric, who spent his early 20s living in both rural Japan and the metropolis of Tokyo, KYO SHU is a sonic expression of his memories.
The word "kyo shu", like so many words and concepts in Japanese, is a word of duality. It means "reminiscence", but with an undercurrent of "nostalgia". Therefore the compositions on KYO SHU were inspired by thoughts of experiences from his youth, like walking after midnight along sand dunes on the Japan Sea coast, or soaking in the warm waters of an outdoor onsen while a gentle snow silently falls on surrounding trees.
Part reverie, part sonic exploration, the music is light years away from his work with The Section Quartet, one of the busiest session string ensembles for rock & pop artists, as well as film & TV scores, and a favorite on the LA club scene for their string interpretations of Radiohead's OK Computer and The Bends.
As a visual companion to the music, Gorfain's film photos taken during his many trips to Japan are featured on KYO SHU's album cover, throughout this website and on Instagram @tone.cluster.
Eric Gorfain is a veteran session musician and arranger based in Los Angeles. He began his classical training at the age of four, and, from there, went on to tour with Jimmy Page & Robert Plant and work with artists such as Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Queens of the Stone Age, Kanye West, Beyonce, Sam Phillips, Def Leppard and Fiona Apple, just to name a few.