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Author Archives: Musicworks

Craig Aalders’ el8dEra 3m

Ice cracking and melting; a forest by the coast; a dream; breath lingering in the cold air—these are some of the images that come to mind when listening to Vancouver composer Craig Aalders’ el8dEra 3m, the first-prize-winning composition in Musicworks’ 2016 annual Electronic Music Composition contest. An absorbing, ethereal work of shimmering organic tones andContinue reading “Craig Aalders’ el8dEra 3m”

Tom Wayman’s “Elemental Musics: Selkirk Mountains”

1. ARIA Alpine wind in the stunted firs half whispers an austere wistfulness with overtones of regret at being compelled by a harsh landscape to be mercilessly forthright: a breathy flute-note surging and fading as the mountain exhales               inhales 2. SONATA The susurrous crescendo rises amid the crowns of tall birch, cedar, pine,Continue reading “Tom Wayman’s “Elemental Musics: Selkirk Mountains””

All-Set! Editions: Essentially Not Jazz

Dapper Toronto imprint All-Set! Editions may be a newcomer to the subterranean ecosystem of experimental music distribution, but it already has a clearer sense of self than other more established labels. It’s spearheaded by a trio of composer-players, multi-instrumentalist Mike Smith, bassist Pete Johnston and pianist Ali Berkok. Its identity can’t easily be articulated inContinue reading “All-Set! Editions: Essentially Not Jazz”

MUSICWORKS UNVEILS 2016 CONTEST WINNERS

MUSICWORKS UNVEILS 2016 CONTEST WINNERS Vancouver musician Craig Aalders and B.C. poet Tom Wayman win top marks in Musicworks’ 2016 Electronic Music Composition and Sonic Geography Writing Contests For the first time in Musicworks contest history, both top prizes go to British Columbia artists. For immediate release: TORONTO, CANADA, February 14, 2017—Musicworks is thrilled toContinue reading “MUSICWORKS UNVEILS 2016 CONTEST WINNERS”

Plumes Deconstructs Grimes

Many Visions: Plumes Deconstructs the Music of Grimes is a genre-spanning music collaboration that seeks to explore and ultimately blur the lines between classical and pop. Thirteen contemporary classical composers have been asked to reimagine and rework the thirteen tracks on Grimes’ 2012 album Visions in, as it were, their own vision. The new works—byContinue reading “Plumes Deconstructs Grimes”

Between Folklore and the Future: The Music of Heidi Chan

Heidi Chan began combining her passions for arranging, technology, and traditional instruments when her father gave her a demo version of the music software program Cakewalk. “Because it was a demo version, I couldn’t save anything,” she recalls. “So I had to leave the computer on for, like, months and months to keep working onContinue reading “Between Folklore and the Future: The Music of Heidi Chan”

Michael Red’s Low Indigo

Michael Red has been an in-demand DJ and producer since the 1990s, when he was a key instigator of Vancouver’s jungle and drum-and-bass scenes. He presented hugely popular underground events featuring beats you couldn’t hear elsewhere. He became a regular on Western Canada’s electronic-music festival scene, and still spends summers away from his Vancouver homeContinue reading “Michael Red’s Low Indigo”