Stories in which the protagonist blossoms, finds themselves, or rediscovers their roots appear everywhere. Their ubiquity makes it awfully tempting to replicate this narrative when telling the story of a solo artist who has arrived at a uniquely focused sound world. Yet sometimes it’s more powerful, and more in line with reality, to illuminate theContinue reading “Colin Stetson’s Sound Story”
Genre Archives
Summer 2013
Daniela Cascella. En Abîme: Listening, Reading, Writing (An archival fiction).
Daniela Cascella’s En Abîme is a fascinating consideration of the art of writing about sound—the process of listening and re-listening and responding to what one has heard. The result of a moment of crisis, when Cascella’s ten years of writing seemed to her to carry no real consistent shape or form, Cascella turned towards theContinue reading “Daniela Cascella. En Abîme: Listening, Reading, Writing (An archival fiction).”
The Venice Biennale 56th International Festival of Contemporary Music.
Using the words “Venice” and “music” together likely brings Vivaldi to mind. Or if one says Venice Biennale, thoughts turn to contemporary art or perhaps film or architecture. Yet the Venice Festival of Contemporary Music just marked its fifty-sixth edition. Why is it that this festival, with such longevity, with a stated concern for exploringContinue reading “The Venice Biennale 56th International Festival of Contemporary Music.”
Scott Walker. Bish Bosch.
Scott Walker’s output since 1995’s Tilt is unquestionably some of the most flamboyantly unique and ambitious song-craft of the past two decades, and Bish Bosch is no exception. The prevailing feeling is one of revolting and sensational corporeality—teeming with brusque immediacy. The quality and proximity of his botched croon often sounds haunted and otherworldly. HereContinue reading “Scott Walker. Bish Bosch.”
Maciunas Ensemble. The Archives Part 1, 1968–1980.
The term process music usually designates compositions that develop along predetermined parameters. It may be attached to pieces built on algorithms or to certain minimalist works, such as those composed by Tom Johnson. You don’t very often find it associated with improvisation, or with music that develops over a period of years. And yet, itContinue reading “Maciunas Ensemble. The Archives Part 1, 1968–1980.”
Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
By the time Yanqui U.X.O., Godspeed’s previous full-length album, had hit the shelves, their marriage of Gorecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs-inspired strings, grim crypto-political field recordings, and gory climaxes of guitar angst, had spawned legions of imitators worldwide. It had also exhausted the ears of some listeners. Ten years on, the Montreal experimental rock collectiveContinue reading “Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!”
Casa Da Música Builds A Home For Experimental Music
FULL-TEXT AVAILABLE IN PRINT EDITION ONLY 1497. Lisbon, Portugal. Navigator Vasco da Gama commands the first ship to sail from Europe to India. During the fifteenth century Portugal’s navigators are at the cutting edge of innovation and world discovery, their travel exploits feats of experimental technique. While Vasco da Gama discovered the world’s vastness andContinue reading “Casa Da Música Builds A Home For Experimental Music”
Richard Windeyer
FULL-TEXT AVAILABLE IN PRINT EDITION ONLY Sitting behind his drum kit and laptop, Richard Windeyer manages the energy of the dance floor, while his colleague Sabrina Reeves emcees the evening’s events. A slow folk ballad suddenly ramps up to 120 bpm; the room pauses for a dance-off; the tempo returns to a slow gaitContinue reading “Richard Windeyer”
loK8Tr
FULL-TEXT AVAILABLE IN PRINT EDITION ONLY They weren’t going to speak with me. Maybe it was just a he or a she, rather than a they. I didn’t know. An e-mail exchange was possible, but I wanted to meet face to face. I tried cajoling the members of the online musical project with theContinue reading “loK8Tr”