The Musicians

Breadknives Music

Imagine a melody. A simple, haunting, short melodic line that would follow you everywhere. In any sound you hear, in any music you listen to, in any place you visit, this tune will come back in several forms and variations, in comical, sublime and distorted ways, dragging you into Emperor Norton’s illusions, always one step away from reality.

Imagine sounds. Sounds of saloons, sailors and brothels, sounds of the gold rush, sounds of the raw and pulsing life of newly created San Francisco in the 1850s.

The BreadKnives Music is creating a unique musical soundscape for The Emperor of America, mixing classical music, sound design, electronics and historically accurate genres such as opera, sea shanties and saloon music. Through our contrasting skills and our collaborative way of working, we will develop a complex and stimulating sonic world that will plunge you into the distorted universe of San Francisco seen through the eyes of its penniless Emperor, Joshua Norton.