Charlemagne Palestine

The Profile

American composer, performer and visual artist associated with minimalism and drone. Known for long-duration piano and organ works such as Strumming Music and Schlingen-Blängen, and for performance rituals involving plush animals.

Developed a piano 'strumming' approach in the early 1970s emphasizing overtones and sustained intensity; often performs with stuffed animals and a ritual setup (including Cognac); distances his practice from classic minimalism in favor of a ritual, shamanic, immersive approach; works span piano, organ, bells, electronics, and field recordings.

Two reviews chart Palestine’s ecstatic edge: a 52-minute piano trance in Strumming Music and a swelling urban soundscape in Jamaica Heinekens in Brooklyn. The writeups stress ritual, fetishes, and overtones over cold formalism. Expect drones that warm, daze, and heal. It’s maximal feeling within minimalist means.