Written in the Universe

Sometimes Nicole Mitchell and Joe Westerlund finish each other’s sentences. That same connection animates Written in the Universe, born from years of performing together in Durham, North Carolina. Mitchell’s expressive flute and live electronics intertwine with Westerlund’s inventive percussion and rooted polyrhythms.

Recorded over two days at Betty’s, a rural studio in the woods outside Chapel Hill, the album embraces the spontaneity of live performance. Rather than refining the recordings through overdubs or extensive editing, the duo preserved the intuitive energy of each take.

The surrounding landscape became an unspoken third collaborator, subtly shaping the music’s organic flow. The result is an album centred on discovery rather than destination, where spontaneous composition becomes indistinguishable from intuition.

For fans of: Jeff Parker, Califone, Mary Halvorson, Matana Roberts, Moor Mother, William Parker, and Natural Information Society.