Julius Eastman: Unjust Malaise - CD

A definitive collection of works by African American composer Julius Eastman, who transcended genre and social boundaries to pursue his unique musical expression. This 3-CD set reconstructs his long-lost musical legacy, officially released for the first time.

Eastman applied the additive structures of minimalism to establish a compositional technique he called "organic music." This technique unfolds through a cumulative layering process, where each section simultaneously contains and builds upon all previous sections. His works employing this method were often given intentionally provocative titles, reflecting his desire to reclaim and positively reinterpret the identities of the marginalized communities he belonged to.

Being Black, being gay, and experiencing life on society’s margins—Eastman transformed these lived realities into raw, unfiltered sound. As one of the most significant first-generation post-minimalist composers, this collection serves as a bold step toward restoring his works to their rightful place in music history.

Born in New York State in 1940, Eastman studied voice and composition at the Curtis Institute of Music. While classically trained, he pioneered new musical possibilities beyond post-minimalism as a composer and performer. He developed a unique methodology called "organic music," blending minimalism with his experiences as a Black artist and his perspective as a queer musician.

His provocative titles and politically charged concepts sometimes sparked controversy, but his work—full of creativity and innovation—has greatly influenced later artists. In the late 1980s, he reportedly faced financial hardship and homelessness, and he passed away in 1990 at the age of 49. Today, his musical contributions are being rediscovered and reevaluated.

Label: New World Records

Release Date: January 1, 2005

Format: 3CD