FANATIC by Flatland Prayer

An early working title for "FANATIC" was, "An American Love Letter." The album functions both as an ode to the United States and a critique of it, drawing on the musical culture of my home country to illuminate its political contradictions. The first half examines the rise of far-right fanaticism, culminating in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The second half turns to the opposite side of the divide, exploring the Democratic Party’s inability to fully grasp or respond to Trump’s re-election.

I've seen Trump often described as a retro-futurist—someone who merges cultural stasis and traditional values with modern technology, promising progress through a return to the “good old days.” That idea became the musical seed of "FANATIC," guiding my attempt to capture a uniquely American nostalgia for a promised future that always seems just out of reach.

At its core, Flatland Prayer is an improvisatory chamber ensemble. The trio pulls from a wide variety of influences, however, combining elements of American folk, avant-garde jazz, and contemporary Classical music. To watch Flatland Prayer is like looking in through their murky living room window, aware that you are witnessing an intimate exchange without quite understanding what it is.