Joel Nelson is a multi-instrumentalist and composer based in Portland, Oregon, working in the overlapping spaces of folk tradition, experimental sound, and electronic music. His practice centers on drones, medieval modes, and microtonality exploring how these ancient and raw tonal systems can still resonate within a contemporary, often unstable sonic landscape. He performs on shuttle pipes, guitar, synthesisers, voice, and a range of hand-built electronics.
At the core of his approach is a fascination with the tension between control and surrender. Joel treats instruments not simply as tools to impose his will, but as unpredictable collaborators capable of guiding him into new, unexpected territories. He’s interested in how instability, fatigue, and intuition can yield music that is more human than anything perfectly programmed or tightly controlled.
Joel is part of many projects that continue this exploration, including the haunted pastoral drones of Silica Gel, the immersive free improvisations of Broken Crow, and collaborations gathered on his album Allies with Davey Williams. He’s contributed to releases like Johnny Coley’s Mister Sweet Whisper on Mississippi Records and is a member of the Sweet Wreath collective, a community dedicated to experimental folk, drone, and intimate sound worlds.
He is currently focused on developing a personal language on the Generator Organ, an off-grid, crank-powered instrument that demands full physical engagement, with every sound generated in real time. Through this work, Joel explores how human mechanics, effort, and unpredictability can shape music that feels vividly alive and deeply connected to the body.
At the core of his approach is a fascination with the tension between control and surrender. Joel treats instruments not simply as tools to impose his will, but as unpredictable collaborators capable of guiding him into new, unexpected territories. He’s interested in how instability, fatigue, and intuition can yield music that is more human than anything perfectly programmed or tightly controlled.
Joel is part of many projects that continue this exploration, including the haunted pastoral drones of Silica Gel, the immersive free improvisations of Broken Crow, and collaborations gathered on his album Allies with Davey Williams. He’s contributed to releases like Johnny Coley’s Mister Sweet Whisper on Mississippi Records and is a member of the Sweet Wreath collective, a community dedicated to experimental folk, drone, and intimate sound worlds.
He is currently focused on developing a personal language on the Generator Organ, an off-grid, crank-powered instrument that demands full physical engagement, with every sound generated in real time. Through this work, Joel explores how human mechanics, effort, and unpredictability can shape music that feels vividly alive and deeply connected to the body.