Don Li Unveils Cosmotonics 7x7: A 49-Hour Sonic Odyssey and Portable Concert Hall Experience

Listen in here: https://open.spotify.com/album/25Kv7eiwe07aAt3LEjXb6a?si=_nmqoqXMRre1WwxJSxkiUQ

For over three decades, Don Li has been a pioneering figure in contemporary music, developing a body of work rooted in reductive principles that marry complexity with deep emotional resonance. Though his compositions often challenge conventional listening habits, they remain profoundly accessible and soulful, reflecting Li’s unique conceptual framework which he terms “Sonic Radiation & Metric Rotation.” This philosophy guides both the structure and the immersive quality of his music, engaging listeners in a dynamic and evolving sound world. The culmination of these explorations is found in his latest project, Cosmotonics 7x7, an ambitious and expansive release launching this June that encompasses not only an enormous musical oeuvre but also an innovative platform and a mobile concert experience.

On June 3rd, after 20 years of meticulous work, Don Li unveiled Cosmotonics 7x7, the most extensive and complex project of his career. This monumental collection consists of seven works, each carefully crafted and interrelated, amounting to a staggering 49 hours of music. Such a scale is unprecedented in today’s music landscape, offering listeners an immersive journey unlike any other. Importantly, Cosmotonics 7x7 is presented through a specially developed online multitrack player, a custom digital interface that allows a highly interactive listening experience.

The multitrack player is central to the project’s innovation. Unlike traditional albums that offer fixed mixes, this platform lets listeners engage directly with the music’s layers. Each piece in the collection includes seven different instrumentations, and the player allows users to seamlessly switch between these various versions during playback. Additionally, listeners can isolate submixes—focused instrumental or vocal groupings—synchronously aligned with the main mix, granting an unprecedented degree of control over the sonic experience. This flexibility invites the audience not just to listen but to actively explore the textures, rhythms, and interactions that define Don Li’s compositions.

The collaborative nature of Cosmotonics 7x7 is another remarkable facet of the project. It features contributions from a roster of highly regarded musicians known for their innovation and virtuosity, including drummer Jojo Mayer, percussionist Ania Losinger, electronic artist Baze, bassist Skúli Sverrisson, Wolfgang Zwiauer, Björn Meyer, Norbert Pfammatter, Mats Eser, vocalist Vidya Shah, and keyboardist Peter Scherer. Each artist brings their own voice and expertise to the evolving tapestry of sound, helping to shape a rich, diverse, and multifaceted work that reflects the breadth of contemporary music’s possibilities.

In addition to the digital innovations, Cosmotonics 7x7 is accompanied by a groundbreaking physical experience: the “Orbital Garden Satellite,” a portable concert hall designed by Don Li himself to bring his music into a new spatial dimension. For the past 20 years, Li has maintained a concert hall in Bern specifically tailored to his compositions. This unique venue is designed for an immersive experience where listeners can lie down and become fully enveloped in the music. The architecture and acoustics of this space are unlike any other, creating a physical environment that amplifies the emotional and sonic impact of his works.

However, the original Bern concert hall’s immobility limited the possibility of sharing this experience with audiences around the world. To overcome this, Don Li engineered the “Orbital Garden Satellite,” an inflatable, portable concert hall that can be transported and set up quickly. The structure inflates within an hour and is housed in a specially designed truck built for touring. This innovation allows Li to bring the immersive spatial experience of his music directly to diverse venues and audiences, expanding the reach and influence of his sonic vision.

Together, the Cosmotonics 7x7 project and the Orbital Garden Satellite represent a holistic artistic statement—a fusion of sound, technology, architecture, and interaction that challenges traditional boundaries of musical performance and listening. This ambitious endeavor reflects Don Li’s commitment to pushing the limits of how music is created, experienced, and shared, promising a new frontier for both artist and audience alike.