Captain’s log: Stardate 58541.8. Officer Fratila has been studying the electronic sounds of Earth’s inhabitants and producing her own sounds as a way to create a feeling of belonging. Her reports from the underground were frequent, then stopped completely. Before losing contact, Fratila sent this message: “I want to leave this Earth behind.” While StefanaContinue reading “Stefana Fratila Explores the Frontiers of Space and Sound”
Author Archives: Musicworks
Art in the Age of the Sellout
It’s staggering to think about what it actually takes to be a professional music artist in 2024. We write and record music, practise for live shows, travel from town to town, and perform for audiences. But today, it’s also de rigueur for a musician to stay up to date with industry trends and be aContinue reading “Art in the Age of the Sellout”
Claiming Space
I am holding a maroon passport in my hand. Inside, its pages spell out the national anthem, one line at a time, in elegant cursive on every double-fold spread. On the cover is the coat of arms, which includes images of an eagle and a lion sitting side by side, three equidistant stars, a sunContinue reading “Claiming Space”
Charles Harding’s Sound Thinking
For twenty-one days last October, as part of an artist residency, New Brunswick sound artist Charles Harding and two composer friends cycled back and forth across Kökar, a small Finnish island accessible only by boat or helicopter, to capture its character using various field recorders and microphones, including hydrophones. Harding found the first night “aContinue reading “Charles Harding’s Sound Thinking”
Okan’s Elizabeth Rodriguez and Magdelys Savigne Celebrate the Here and Now
Canadian Afro-Cuban ensemble Okan takes its name from the word for heart in Lucumí, the liturgical language used in the Afro-Cuban religion of Santeria. The heart of Okan is two songwriter-performers who bring the experiences and potent emotions of their lives to their music, which infuses its Afro-Cuban roots with jazz, folk, and global rhythmsContinue reading “Okan’s Elizabeth Rodriguez and Magdelys Savigne Celebrate the Here and Now”
First-place winner, 2023 Musicworks Electronic Music Composition Contest
At age five, Ningxin Zhang started her classical training on the pipa—a lute-like plucked Chinese instrument in use for more than 2,000 years—and followed the traditional route of practising repertoire (classical and folk songs) and performing in competitions. While studying translation, interpreting, and intercultural studies at Hong Kong Baptist University, Ningxin was inspired to exploreContinue reading “First-place winner, 2023 Musicworks Electronic Music Composition Contest”
Pseudo Laboratories: Prairie Underground Captured on Tape
Parker Thiessen and Ian Rowley have developed their Edmonton-based Pseudo Laboratories imprint—which recently marked its fiftieth cassette release—into the centre of a thriving regional community of experimentalists. “Right now, my main goal with Pseudo Labs is to connect the Prairies better,” Thiessen tells me as we sit on a pub patio on an unseasonably warmContinue reading “Pseudo Laboratories: Prairie Underground Captured on Tape”
Yes No Wave’s Communal Energy is Reaching Global Stages
Ican Harem and Kasimyn of Gabber Modus Operandi were perched onstage at the far end of the concert hall. Kasimyn stood behind a DJ setup; Harem crouched, a microphone in one hand and a handheld laser glove in the other. The sound that the Bali-based club duo has become known for—a high-BPM blend of grindcore,Continue reading “Yes No Wave’s Communal Energy is Reaching Global Stages”
Nicole Rampersaud Takes a Solo
Saudade is an untranslatable Portuguese word that may refer to nostalgia or melancholy, but also touches on the elusive feeling of joy that comes with recall and self-discovery. It’s also the apt title of trumpet player Nicole Rampersaud’s debut solo album, on which the songs never overstay their welcome. Some pieces feel like they areContinue reading “Nicole Rampersaud Takes a Solo”
Saxophonist Andrew MacKelvie is seeking what the music wants
At all times, it seems, Andrew MacKelvie is listening. Not just in the sense of having one’s ears turned on in order to avoid peril, but focused listening—to the wind over Long Lake, where his ambient improvisational ensemble New Hermitage puts on its annual dawn concert; to the resonance of the big church hall inContinue reading “Saxophonist Andrew MacKelvie is seeking what the music wants”