PLATO & the Western Tradition

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PLATO & the Western Tradition is a Postmodern Improvisation Ensemble that has been recording real-time improvisations using electronic and acoustic instruments since 1988. The founders and core members are David K. Barton of South Bend, Indiana, and Boyd Nutting of Niles, Michigan. As of December 4, 2016, we have recorded 4,054 improvisations, and would like to share our music. PLATO & The Western Tradition invites others in the Electronic Music Community to participate in the creation of an on-line compilation called “Weaving Indra’s Net”. Here are the “rules”:1. Download from http://www.soun...

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PLATO & the Western Tradition

Episodes

PLATO No. 10805 Winning the Universe 16.12.2025 12:58

Real-Time Improvisation by David K. Barton & Boyd Nutting, recorded December 15, 2025, PLATO’s Studio, Michiana. David: PLATO, No. 0815, “Doppelgänger 1” (David & Walter Wright 7-20-97) 09:25-22:25. Boyd: Theremin—›Vocoder, PLATO, No. 2335, “Covenant by Voice Spiritual” (David & Boyd 12-15-11) Tr -10.

PLATO No. 10804 Regions of Space 16.12.2025 13:02

Real-Time Improvisation by David K. Barton & Boyd Nutting, recorded December 15, 2025, PLATO’s Studio, Michiana. David: Kybd—›Synths+Yard Sample Set; PLATO, No. 0814, “Fading Images of Existent Objectivity 2” (David & Boyd 7-12-97) 00:07-13:07. Boyd: Theremin—›Vocoder, Electronics—›Processors; PLATO, No. 0401, “White Winter Whispers part 1” (David, Boyd, & Evie Barton 2-14-93) 13:00-26:00, 32:00-4...

PLATO No. 10803 Oceanic Gradual 16.12.2025 13:00

Real-Time Improvisation by David K. Barton & Boyd Nutting, recorded December 15, 2025, PLATO’s Studio, Michiana. David: Kybd—›Synths+Voice; PLATO, No. 0813, “Fading Images of Existent Objectivity 1” (David & Boyd 7-12-97) 32:07-45:07. Boyd: Theremin—›Vocoder, Electronics—›Processors; PLATO, No. 0803, “Paradisio, after Dante, part 1” (David & Boyd 5-28-97) 13:00-26:00, 30:00-43:00.

PLATO No. 10802 Counterpoise… 16.12.2025 13:00

Real-Time Improvisation by David K. Barton & Boyd Nutting, recorded December 15, 2025, PLATO’s Studio, Michiana. David: Kybd—›Synths+Voice; PLATO, No. 0812, “Deceptive Timelessness” (David, Boyd, Elizabeth Nutting, & ‘Vid Grande, Michiana Improvisational Music Festival VII, No. 9, 6-7-97) 02:33-15:20. Boyd: Theremin—› Vocoder, Electronics—›Processors; PLATO, No. 0802, “Purgatorio, after Dante” (Da...

PLATO No. 10801 Between Cosmos and Being 16.12.2025 13:00

Real-Time Improvisation by David K. Barton & Boyd Nutting, recorded December 15, 2025, PLATO’s Studio, Michiana. David: Kybd—›Synths; PLATO, No. 0811, “Crystalline Growth” (David, Boyd, Tim Backer, & ‘Vid Grande, Michiana Improvisational Music Festival VII, No. 7, 6-7-97) 28:43-41:43. Boyd: Theremin—›Vocoder; PLATO, No. 0801, “Inferno, after Dante” (David & Boyd 5-18-97) 13:00-26:00, 31:00-44:00.

PLATO No. 10800 Inaudible Poetry 16.12.2025 13:00

Real-Time Improvisation by David K. Barton & Boyd Nutting, recorded December 15, 2025, PLATO’s Studio, Michiana. David: PLATO, No. 0810, “Encircling & Evading” (David, & ‘Vid Grande, Michiana Improvisational Music Festival VII, No. 6, 6-7-97) 08:22-21:22. Boyd: Theremin—›Vocoder, Electronics—›Processors; PLATO, No. 1000, “PLATO & the Sufi Tradition” (David, Boyd, Evie Barton & Scott Hatt 5-16-99)...

PLATO No. 10799 Unknown Flowers 15.12.2025 13:00

New Music by David K. Barton, recorded December 14, 2025, PLATO’s PilotHouse, Michiana. PLATO, No. 0791, “Schoenberg Howls 1” (David, & Boyd Nutting 4-6-97) 00:03-13:03, 29:54-42:54.

PLATO No. 10798 Asleep with Roots 14.12.2025 13:00

New Music by David K. Barton, recorded December 13, 2025, PLATO’s PilotHouse, Michiana. PLATO, No. 1798, “Outside In” (David, & Boyd Nutting, 8-26-09) 13:06-26:06, 26:06-39:06.

PLATO No. 10797 Ignoring the Tocsin 13.12.2025 13:00

New Music by David K. Barton, recorded December 12, 2025, PLATO’s PilotHouse, Michiana. PLATO, No. 0977, “Ebony Bells” (David, Erin Taylor Young, & Chad A. Miller, 3-19-99) 13:47-26:47, 31:44-44:44.

PLATO No. 10796 Darkness & Light 12.12.2025 13:00

New Music by David K. Barton, recorded December 11, 2025, PLATO’s PilotHouse, Michiana. PLATO, No. 1697, “Inception” (David, solo, Spurious Fugitive Gallery 2-6-09) 00:10-13:10, 32:37-45:37.

PLATO No. 10795 Mega Churches 11.12.2025 13:00

New Music by David K. Barton, recorded December 10, 2025, PLATO’s PilotHouse, Michiana. PLATO, No. 1795, “Technology in the service of religion” (David, & Boyd Nutting, 8-19-09) 10:42-23:42, 23:42-36:42.

PLATO No. 10794 Data Centers 10.12.2025 13:00

New Music by David K. Barton, recorded December 9. 2025, PLATO’s PilotHouse, Michiana. PLATO, No. 1794, “Religion in the service of technology” (David, & Boyd Nutting, 8-19-09) 00:05-13:05, 13:05-26:05.

PLATO No. 10793 Endless Reception 09.12.2025 13:00

Real-Time Improvisation by David K. Barton & Boyd Nutting, recorded December 8, 2025, PLATO’s Studio, Michiana. David: Kybd—›Synths; PLATO, No. 1793, “Thickets of Irrationality” (David, Julie, & Boyd 8-12-09) 00:07-13:07. Boyd: Theremin—›Vocoder—› Processors; Electronics—›Processors; PLATO, No. 1739, “The Afterglow of Creation” (David & Boyd 4-15-09) 26:00-39:00, 47:00-60:00.

PLATO No. 10792 Polyphony of Light 09.12.2025 13:00

Real-Time Improvisation by David K. Barton & Boyd Nutting, recorded December 8, 2025, PLATO’s Studio, Michiana. David: Kybd—›Synths; PLATO, No. 1792, “The Undergrowth of the Psyche” (David & Boyd 8-12-09) 04:25-17:25. Boyd: Theremin—›Vocoder—› Processors; Electronics—›Processors; PLATO, No. 0297b, “CONCRETE: Meanderthal” (Boyd, Andrew Lersten, & Mickey MacKenzie MIMF I No. 10, 7-27-91) 13:00- 26:0...

PLATO No. 10791 Stretching Open 09.12.2025 13:00

Real-Time Improvisation by David K. Barton & Boyd Nutting, recorded December 8, 2025, PLATO’s Studio, Michiana. David: PLATO, No. 1791, “Breaking Eggshell Pieties” (David & Boyd 8-12-09) Tr -14. Boyd: Theremin—›Vocoder—› Processors; Electronics—›Processors; PLATO, No. 1197a, “Arcanum I The Magician, part 1” (David & Boyd 11-25-02) 14:00- 27:00, 30:00- 43:00.

PLATO No. 10790 Flower Muscles 09.12.2025 13:00

Real-Time Improvisation by David K. Barton & Boyd Nutting, recorded December 8, 2025, PLATO’s Studio, Michiana. David: Kybd—›Synths; Samples: Grp 1, scene 8; PLATO, No. 1790, “in the Dream City” (David & Boyd 8-5-09) 14:51-27:51. Boyd: Theremin—›Vocoder—›Processors; Electronics—›Processors; PLATO, No. 1790: 13:00- 26:00, 15:00-28:00.

PLATO No. 10789 …or Nothing 09.12.2025 13:00

Real-Time Improvisation by David K. Barton & Boyd Nutting, recorded December 8, 2025, PLATO’s Studio, Michiana. David: Kybd—›Synths; PLATO, No. 1789, “Radius of Anarchy” (David & Boyd 8-5-09) 00:05-13:05. Boyd: Theremin—›Vocoder—›Processors; Electronics—›Processors; PLATO, No. 0897, “On the Astral Runway” (David, & Scott Hatt 4-12-98) 13:00-26:00, 32:00-45:00.

PLATO No. 10788 Filled with Something… 09.12.2025 13:00

Real-Time Improvisation by David K. Barton & Boyd Nutting, recorded December 8, 2025, PLATO’s Studio, Michiana. David: Kybd—›Synths; PLATO, No. 1788, “In the Birdcage, for Merce” (David, Julie Soales & Boyd 7-29-09) 00:07-13:07. Boyd: Electronics—›Processors; PLATO, No. 1788: 13:00-26:00, 42:00-55:00.

PLATO No. 10787 Owning Time 08.12.2025 13:00

New Music by David K. Barton, recorded December 7. 2025, PLATO’s PilotHouse, Michiana. PLATO, No. 1778, “Reattachment to Time” (David, & Boyd Nutting 7-1-09) 13:05-26:05, 39:05-52:05.

PLATO No. 10786 Tangled Roots 07.12.2025 13:00

New Music by David K. Barton, recorded December 6. 2025, PLATO’s PilotHouse, Michiana. PLATO, No. 1687, “Past Life Revisited” (David, & Boyd Nutting 1-21-09) 13:06-26:06, 41:25-54:25.

PLATO No. 10785 Mirror Images 06.12.2025 13:00

New Music by David K. Barton, recorded December 5, 2025, PLATO’s PilotHouse, Michiana. PLATO, No. 0857, “Harding’s Reel & Jigs, No. 13” (David, & Boyd Nutting, with David Harding, viola, 11-28-97) 00:06-13:06, 32:09-45:09.

PLATO No. 10784 Sky's Silence 05.12.2025 13:00

New Music by David K. Barton, recorded December 4. 2025, PLATO’s PilotHouse, Michiana. PLATO, No. 1784, “Sky full of stars” (David, & Boyd Nutting 7-15-09) 00:06-13:06, 21:27-34:27.

PLATO No. 10783 Unquiet Instincts 04.12.2025 13:00

New Music by David K. Barton, recorded December 3. 2025, PLATO’s PilotHouse, Michiana. PLATO, No. 0387, “The Philtre of Apollo” (David, & Boyd Nutting 10-28-92) 00:03-13:03, 13:10-26:10.

PLATO No. 10782 Listening with Marble Ears 04.12.2025 13:00

New Music by David K. Barton, recorded December 3. 2025, PLATO’s PilotHouse, Michiana. PLATO, No. 0821, “Monograms of Memory 2” (David, & Boyd Nutting, 8-2-97) 13:03-26:03, 18:17-31:17.

PLATO No. 10781 The Circle Opens 03.12.2025 12:59

Real-Time Improvisation by David K. Barton & Boyd Nutting, recorded December 2, 2025, PLATO’s Studio, Michiana. David: Kybd—›Synths; PLATO, No. 1718, “Nibbling at the Edges of Perception” (David & Boyd 3-11-09) 58:52-71:52. Boyd: Electronics—› Processors; PLATO, No. 1187, “Resonant Changes” (Boyd & John Richez 8-27-02) 08:00- 21:00, 31:00-44:00.