Johnny Bell is an acoustic instrumental musician based in northern New Mexico who is redefining the boundaries of the banjo. Embracing the progressive potential of this timeless instrument, Johnny’s music transcends its traditional roots. Johnny’s new record, Field Trips, will be released on September 6th via the always-excellent Aural Canyon Records.
Rooted in the lineage of American Primitive music, Johnny’s current work is a mesmerizing fusion of traditional clawhammer banjo techniques with acoustic drone, ambient field recordings, radio broadcasts, tape loops, and other found sounds. The result is a series of recursive sonic textures that are trance-inducing and cathartic.
Field Trips is a series of captivating sonic collages crafted from found sounds, field recordings, tape loops, and improvised instrumentation—including acoustic drone and 5-string banjo. These soundscapes were created and captured in various locations: near Johnny’s home in northern New Mexico, at the base of the Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona, and along the Pacific Coast of California.
This project sparked his interest in using ambient recordings as uncontrolled compositional elements, blurring the lines between musical and non-musical sounds. The goal was to blend these diverse elements into coherent arrangements. This process evolved into a practice, where each capture became a unique journey or field trip unto itself.
Eight tracks in total, Field Trips is a delightful auditory journey through which Johnny blends all his musical interests into a mesmerizing synthesis. “Alligator Juniper” starts the record with a peaceful field recording, then shifts into Johnny’s fast-paced and terrific banjo. The song mutates again near the end into a lush symphony of ambient sounds, giving us a hint of what’s to come.
“Forest Floor” experiments with various noises, such as radio broadcasts and field recordings, to create a fascinating sonic collage. Johnny is like a mad scientist on this record with the bold, experimental approach, and “Forest Floor” proves that his experiments turned out well.
“25-Hour Day” is interesting for the track title alone. Wouldn’t we all want an extra hour in the day? While some would use it to cram in more work, I get the idea from this calming track that Johnny would use it to relax and rest.
“Two Paths, Same Point” features Johnny’s banjo sounding like a distant radio broadcast, which is the effect I’m sure he was going for. Like many of the tracks, the American Primitive influence is apparent, as Johnny combines the rustic feel of prairie banjo with the electronic experimentation he’s so good at.
“Under the Sycamore at Rock Creek” begins with the rustling sounds of a field recording and sets us squarely in the time and place embodied in the track title. Whether this Rock Creek is in New Mexico, Arizona, or California—where Johnny captured the soundscapes—the listener feels the embodiment of the natural sounds in the song, which gives off a beautifully spiritual glow.
On “Cloud Shroud,” the field recordings give us a greater sense of nature’s grandeur before Johnny’s banjo kicks back in, playing at a more feverish pace. “Re-emergence” features an acoustic drone and the rhythmic crashing of waves, creating a soothing listening experience. It’s one of the few tracks not to feature the banjo, as Johnny opts for a more ambient approach.
“Refusing Easy Comfort” closes the record with the static of radio switching channels, giving way to the clawhammer banjo over ten-plus minutes. The song melds into an ambient drone, and the banjo eventually re-emerges near the end as Johnny sends us off an epic note.
One of the most striking elements of Field Trips is Johnny Bell’s ability to dissolve the boundaries between musical and non-musical sounds. The result is a meditative experience that invites us to lose ourselves in the intricate interplay of natural and instrumental noises.
By combining the banjo with field recordings, found sounds, and American Primitive influences, Field Trips creates a unique and deeply moving listening experience. It is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of ambient music and the boundless potential of instrumental experimentation.
Keep your eyes peeled on Aural Canyon’s Bandcamp and social media pages to discover when you can pre-order Field Trips by Johnny Bell.
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