MRBCO

MRBCO is the imprint of Michael R. Bernstein, releasing music and books since 2026.

Releases

MRBCO-001 — Michael R. Bernstein, “97 BPM Dream Chord Prime Number Search” cassette, featuring the Blue Tape Human Liberation Orchestra

A: 97 BPM Dream Chord Prime Number Search For Four Organs
B: 97 BPM Dream Chord Prime Number Search For Nine Instruments

For as long as Minimalist music has existed, one weakness has persisted — the need for human involvement. The Blue Tape Human Liberation Orchestra (BTHLO) imagines a future where the purity and pleasure of music can exist without the petty and profane need for human intervention. With its twin slogans of “Save Humans from Music” and “Save Music From Humans,” the BTHLO interrogates the infinite possibilities of this perfect future.

This album presents a live recording of an installation for which I designed and composed a special piece, along with an ‘in the box’ rendering using a Nord Electro 2 Sixty-One and a Mellotron Micro, and then the two combined. “For Four Organs” presents the documentary recording of just the installation running; “For Nine Instruments” combines five virtual tracks along with the four tracks recorded live from the installation.

The installation included two chord organs actuated with 8 solenoids, and two custom built pipe organs, fed by special plenum box air supplies. The instruments are sequenced via an Oxi One MKII sequencer, and MIDI is translated into mechanical actuation via custom ‘brain boxes’ I built using microprocessors and Python software. This album explores La Monte Young’s Dream Chord: G, C, C#, D.

All design, software, hardware, and compositions by Michael R. Bernstein. Special thanks to Michael Krzyzaniak, Meghan Raham, and Patrick Cain for design inspiration and technical assistance. Thank you to Will Robin for the gracious invitation and the staff of the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library in the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center: Stephen Henry, John R Davis, James Michael Homme, and Drew Barker. Work created for the Society of Minimalist Music’s 10th International Conference on Music and Minimalism at the University of Maryland.

Available soon at fine distributors internationally, or on Bandcamp here.

Contact
For wholesale, trades, or anything else: michaelrbernstein@gmail.com